Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cape Carteret, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,513 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Carteret, NC
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Cape Carteret, NC Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Cape Carteret, NC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rio de Janeiro and in Cape Carteret, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,513 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Cape Carteret, NC $2,513

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,767 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Cape Carteret, NC $3,767

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $5,021 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Cape Carteret, NC $5,021

Rio de Janeiro is about 49% cheaper than Cape Carteret, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Cape Carteret, NC is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$17.79 $17.79

-43.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$90.1 $90.1

-55.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$11.88 $11.88

-28.62%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$5.79 $5.79

-59.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.72 $2.72

-40.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.07 $2.07

-51.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$5.98 $5.98

-59.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$7.07 $7.07

-47.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.04 $1.04

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$3.15 $3.15

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$5.25 $5.25

-75.43%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$4.88 $4.88

-53.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$10.21 $10.21

7.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$9.95 $9.95

-56.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$18.47 $18.47

-47.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$2.53 $2.53

11.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.59 $1.59

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$4.94 $4.94

-67.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$5.64 $5.64

-68.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.27 $2.27

-44.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$4.59 $4.59

-76.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.87 $1.87

-59.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$2.24 $2.24

-70.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$9.16 $9.16

-66.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$11.81 $11.81

-30.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.83 $1.83

-34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.15 $2.15

11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.14 $2.14

-52.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$4.64 $4.64

-72.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.33 $1.33

-32.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$20.20 $20.20

-53.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.04 $1.04

27.88%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.4K R$117.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-34.98%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.6K R$167.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

34.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$134 R$666

$210 $210

-36.30%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.23 R$61.0

$61.0 $61.0

-79.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$65.8 $65.8

-65.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$42.96 $42.96

-26.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$11.78 $11.78

-30.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$603 R$3,011

$1,576 $1,576

-61.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$16.1K $16.1K

-17.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$61.2 $61.2

-31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$47.45 $47.45

5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$116 $116

-35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$111 $111

-38.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,452 $1,452

-37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,280 $1,280

-58.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$2,126 $2,126

-36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$2,215 $2,215

-65.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$2,774 $2,774

43.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,362 $2,362

-33.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.57

81.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Carteret, NC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Cape Carteret, NC

$1.3K 50.4% 143% $752

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Cape Carteret, NC

$376 14.8% 75% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Cape Carteret, NC

$336 13.2% 99.8% $168

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Cape Carteret, NC

$311 12.2% 89.6% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Cape Carteret, NC

$151 6% 42.8% $45

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Cape Carteret, NC

$20 * 0.8% 66.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Cape Carteret, NC

$67 2.6% 38.5% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,452 in Cape Carteret, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $90.0 in Cape Carteret, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $376 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Cape Carteret, NC

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Cape Carteret, NC 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Cape Carteret, NC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio de Janeiro vs Cape Carteret, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Carteret, NC is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,769 in Cape Carteret, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,513 in Cape Carteret, NC. That's a gap of about 96%.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,576 in Cape Carteret, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Cape Carteret, NC at $2,513. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Carteret, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Carteret, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.