Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,713 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/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.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,713 in Cartago.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Cartago $1,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,362 in Cartago.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Cartago $2,362

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,011 in Cartago.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Cartago $3,011

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 25% less than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Cartago is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.8

$8.64 ₡3,882

16.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$204

$34.53 ₡15.5K

17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.16

$9.92 ₡4,458

-13.81%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.99

$4.54 ₡2,040

-47.58%

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

$1.61 R$8.14

$2.13 ₡957

-24.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.36 ₡611

-24.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.49

$2.15 ₡966

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.69

$4.06 ₡1,823

-8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.39 ₡1,075

-50.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.34

$2.37 ₡1,067

-13.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.46

$2.47 ₡1,112

-48.18%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.55

$3.57 ₡1,604

-35.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.3

$8.61 ₡3,868

24.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.26

$10.38 ₡4,664

-57.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.65

$13.94 ₡6,265

-29.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.19

$5.24 ₡2,356

-46.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.99

$1.29 ₡580

37.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$4.49 ₡2,018

-64.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.07

$2.91 ₡1,309

-38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.14

$2.24 ₡1,006

-45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$2.17 ₡973

-52.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.90

$1.09 ₡488

-29.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.36

$2.18 ₡979

-69.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.21

$6.07 ₡2,728

-50.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.77

$15.16 ₡6,810

-46.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.00

$2.89 ₡1,298

-58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.67

$2.03 ₡914

23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$1.37 ₡614

-27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$253

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-31.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.33 ₡600

-8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.64

$1.56 ₡703

-41.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.25

$8.95 ₡4,023

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.51 ₡679

-13.91%

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

$23.9K R$120.5K

$21.7K ₡9.7M

10.06%

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

$32.9K R$165.9K

$35.1K ₡15.8M

-6.42%

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

$133 R$673

$52.4 ₡23.6K

154.43%

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

$10.82 R$54.6

$35.12 ₡15.8K

-69.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-61.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-58.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$77.8 ₡34.9K

-59.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.65

$7.27 ₡3,268

10.73%

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

$598 R$3,016

$549 ₡246.6K

8.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.7K

$7,878 ₡3.5M

70.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$212

$70.1 ₡31.5K

-40.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$251

$56.5 ₡25.4K

-12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$376

$121 ₡54.5K

-38.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$347

$87.7 ₡39.4K

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,558

$923 ₡415.0K

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,672

$704 ₡316.5K

-24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,695

$1,869 ₡839.7K

-29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,814

$724 ₡325.4K

4.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,228

$1,344 ₡604.0K

-52.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.62

38.40%

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

$704 41.1% 33% $175

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Cartago

$348 20.3% 62.3% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Cartago

$147 8.6% 11.8% $20

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Cartago

$186 10.9% 12.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Cartago

$151 8.8% 42.8% $45

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 46.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Cartago

$88 5.2% 88.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $923 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 110% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $35.00 in Cartago. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $348, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

110,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.198 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Cartago 5,740 km ≈ 8 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

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Cartago. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $923 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 46% less than in Cartago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $549 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,713 in Cartago, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Cartago. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Cartago 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.