Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Caracas

For one person, living costs are similar in Rio de Janeiro and in Caracas: $1,285 and $1,312 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
Learn more

Caracas Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Caracas

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 Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Caracas $3,160

Rio de Janeiro is about 2% cheaper than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Caracas are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Caracas 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$10.63 VES 9,293

-6.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$68.2 VES 59.6K

-40.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$10.99 VES 9,611

-22.84%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.73 VES 3,266

-36.73%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.54 VES 1,349

5.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.28 VES 1,122

-21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$2.05 VES 1,796

19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$2.91 VES 2,546

26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$2.76 VES 2,413

-58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.32 VES 2,030

-10.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$1.89 VES 1,655

-31.75%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$4.82 VES 4,219

-52.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$10.18 VES 8,900

8.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$9.44 VES 8,260

-54.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$11.51 VES 10.1K

-15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$7.23 VES 6,322

-60.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.96 VES 1,713

-6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$2.13 VES 1,864

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$2.37 VES 2,070

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.24 VES 1,956

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.24 VES 1,957

-52.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.61 VES 1,411

-53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$2.41 VES 2,104

-72.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$4.57 VES 3,994

-33.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$12.02 VES 10.5K

-31.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.37 VES 1,196

-13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.17 VES 1,896

10.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.51 VES 449

98.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$29.63 VES 25.9K

69.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$4.88 VES 4,271

-73.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$2.68 VES 2,346

-66.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$15.17 VES 13.3K

-37.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$0.86 VES 754

54.65%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$25.1K VES 22.0M

-6.81%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$38.6K VES 33.8M

-13.10%

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

$134 R$666

$22.07 VES 19.3K

504.89%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$11.81 VES 10.3K

3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$38.64 VES 33.8K

-41.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$66.8 VES 58.5K

-52.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$17.23 VES 15.1K

79.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$6.48 VES 5,666

27.01%

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

$603 R$3,011

$159 VES 139.5K

278.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$6,138 VES 5.4M

115.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$77.8 VES 68.0K

-46.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$50.6 VES 44.2K

-1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$136 VES 119.2K

-44.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$136 VES 119.2K

-49.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$619 VES 541.0K

46.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$418 VES 365.3K

26.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$1,106 VES 966.9K

21.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$887 VES 775.5K

-12.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$1,458 VES 1.3M

172.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$690 VES 603.7K

126.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$304 VES 265.6K

111.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-45.77%

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 Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 20.8% $110

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 58.4% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 56.9% $96

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 16.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 70.6% $75

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 16.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Caracas

$80 6% 66.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $619 in Caracas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 112% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $340 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, 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).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Caracas 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Caracas

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 Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 2%, 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 $1,968 in Caracas. 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.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $159 in Caracas. 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 Caracas at $1,312. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caracas 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, Caracas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.