Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cartago

For one person, living costs are similar in Rio de Janeiro and in Cartago: $1,289 and $1,281 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,281 in Cartago, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Cartago $1,281

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,972 in Cartago, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Cartago $1,972

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,663 in Cartago, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Cartago $2,663

Rio de Janeiro costs about 1% more than Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Cartago are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Cartago 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.8

$7.58 COP 24.1K

32.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$204

$37.20 COP 118.3K

8.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.16

$8.47 COP 26.9K

0.94%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.99

$1.54 COP 4,884

54.55%

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

$1.61 R$8.14

$1.28 COP 4,063

25.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.20

$0.83 COP 2,634

24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.49

$3.10 COP 9,869

-20.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.69

$3.66 COP 11.7K

1.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.60 COP 5,088

-25.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.34

$1.88 COP 5,973

9.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.46

$1.49 COP 4,751

-14.09%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.55

$2.93 COP 9,334

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.3

$6.58 COP 20.9K

63.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.26

$7.11 COP 22.6K

-37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.65

$9.93 COP 31.6K

-0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.19

$3.57 COP 11.4K

-21.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.99

$1.32 COP 4,200

34.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$1.74 COP 5,530

-8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.07

$1.63 COP 5,184

10.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.14

$1.42 COP 4,522

-14.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$1.50 COP 4,758

-30.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.90

$1.08 COP 3,443

-28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.36

$1.03 COP 3,261

-34.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.21

$3.69 COP 11.7K

-18.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.77

$13.12 COP 41.7K

-38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.00

$1.50 COP 4,756

-20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.67

$2.45 COP 7,794

2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$1.02 COP 3,244

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.79 COP 2,524

54.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.64

$2.27 COP 7,230

-59.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.25

$8.40 COP 26.7K

6.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.32 COP 4,211

-1.52%

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

$23.9K R$120.5K

$28.0K COP 89.1M

-14.82%

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

$32.9K R$165.9K

$34.6K COP 110.2M

-5.14%

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

$133 R$673

$110 COP 349.3K

21.45%

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

$10.82 R$54.6

$13.23 COP 42.1K

-18.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$30.26 COP 96.2K

-24.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$42.32 COP 134.6K

-27.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.65

$8.24 COP 26.2K

-2.31%

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

$598 R$3,016

$701 COP 2.2M

-14.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.7K

$6,430 COP 20.5M

108.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$212

$77.8 COP 247.3K

-45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$251

$55.1 COP 175.4K

-9.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$376

$127 COP 403.0K

-41.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$347

$111 COP 351.7K

-37.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,558

$645 COP 2.1M

40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,672

$509 COP 1.6M

4.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,695

$1,041 COP 3.3M

27.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,814

$970 COP 3.1M

-22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$1,999 COP 6.4M

100.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

$1,803 COP 5.7M

-13.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,228

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.58

3.02%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Cartago

$509 39.7% 3.9% $21

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Cartago

$241 18.8% 12.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Cartago

$153 12% 8.3% $14

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Cartago

$136 10.6% 17.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Cartago

$167 13% 57.6% $61

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Cartago

$16 * 1.3% 72.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Cartago

$59 4.6% 25.4% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $645 in Cartago. 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 $37.00 in Cartago. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $241 in Cartago – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

135,365

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.198 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.05 BRL (1 BRL = 0.198 USD). 1 EUR = 5.65 BRL (1 BRL = 0.177 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Cartago 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,921 in Cartago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartago, 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 $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,281 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 1%.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $701 in Cartago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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