Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Carriacou

For one person, living is cheaper in Carriacou: $278 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Carriacou

🇬🇩 Grenada

$278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $278 in Carriacou.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Carriacou $278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $540 in Carriacou.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Carriacou $540

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $802 in Carriacou.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Carriacou $802

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 363% more expensive than in Carriacou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Carriacou 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$14.89 EC$40.20

-32.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$44.53 EC$120

-9.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$9.00 EC$24.29

-5.78%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$2.91 EC$7.85

-18.90%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.26 EC$6.11

-27.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.29 EC$3.48

-21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$2.26 EC$6.10

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$3.66 EC$9.88

0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$5.61 EC$15.15

-59.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.14 EC$3.08

-34.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$14.99 EC$40.47

-45.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.83 EC$4.95

-50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$546 EC$1,475

628.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Carriacou: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Carriacou

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Carriacou

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Carriacou

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Carriacou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Carriacou

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Carriacou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Carriacou

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $45.00 in Carriacou. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $57.0, with Carriacou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇬🇩 Carriacou

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

1,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Carriacou 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Carriacou

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 Carriacou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carriacou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 363% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro and $416 in Carriacou to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 277% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carriacou – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $278 in Carriacou versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Carriacou but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Carriacou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Carriacou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Carriacou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Carriacou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 363% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.