Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Castanhal Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Castanhal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $785 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,230 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,676 in Castanhal.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 22% more expensive than Castanhal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Castanhal 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.38 R$27.73

33.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$27.39 R$141

29.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.23 R$32.08

3.37%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.74 R$8.95

13.22%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.12 R$5.77

13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.66 R$3.39

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.85 R$9.51

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.64 R$13.62

1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$0.92 R$4.75

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.47 R$7.56

15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.19 R$6.15

18.49%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$2.04 R$10.52

-1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$8.32 R$42.85

-3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.60 R$18.53

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.20 R$37.09

13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.13 R$10.97

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.26 R$6.51

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.14 R$5.85

30.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.49 R$7.68

4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.14 R$5.86

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.11 R$5.72

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.69 R$3.56

-1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.66 R$3.41

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.10 R$10.84

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$6.81 R$35.10

28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.27 R$6.53

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.08 R$10.72

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.93 R$4.81

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.19 R$197

2.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.10 R$5.69

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.76 R$3.90

-6.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.54 R$33.68

12.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.04 R$5.36

2.88%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$20.4K R$105.1K

-0.25%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$27.8K R$143.3K

-2.60%

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

$104 R$535

$61.0 R$314

70.15%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.75 R$70.9

-11.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$18.73 R$96.5

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.87 R$118

12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.99 R$113

10.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.23 R$32.09

5.94%

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

$542 R$2,791

$266 R$1,369

103.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,397 R$33.0K

84.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$48.34 R$249

-8.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$42.34 R$218

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$77.1 R$397

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$63.2 R$326

-1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$321 R$1,655

36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$213 R$1,098

55.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$585 R$3,012

43.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$438 R$2,255

30.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,771 R$9,125

89.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,097 R$5,653

26.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $321 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $172 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,440 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,177 in Castanhal 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $321 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $785 in Castanhal – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $785 in Castanhal versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $785 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.