Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Caye Caulker

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,852 in Caye Caulker, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Caye Caulker
Learn more

Caye Caulker Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Caye Caulker

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Caye Caulker

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,852 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Caye Caulker $1,852

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,718 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Caye Caulker $2,718

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,584 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Caye Caulker $3,584

Rio de Janeiro is about 31% cheaper than Caye Caulker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Caye Caulker is 38% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$8.27 BZD 16.55

20.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$32.46 BZD 64.9

24.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$7.56 BZD 15.13

12.17%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$4.09 BZD 8.19

-42.30%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.54 BZD 3.09

5.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.76 BZD 3.52

-42.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$3.09 BZD 6.18

-21.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$4.47 BZD 8.94

-17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$2.92 BZD 5.84

-60.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$1.80 BZD 3.60

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$4.36 BZD 8.72

-70.41%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$4.11 BZD 8.23

-44.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$11.12 BZD 22.24

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$7.79 BZD 15.57

-44.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$13.32 BZD 26.63

-26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$8.28 BZD 16.56

-65.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.11 BZD 2.23

65.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.41 BZD 2.82

13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$2.85 BZD 5.71

-36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$5.67 BZD 11.33

-77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$4.51 BZD 9.01

-76.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$3.09 BZD 6.18

-75.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.76 BZD 3.52

-62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$4.45 BZD 8.91

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$22.26 BZD 44.53

-63.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.26 BZD 4.53

-47.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.52 BZD 5.05

-5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$4.91 BZD 9.83

-79.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$22.81 BZD 45.62

119.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.56 BZD 7.13

-64.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$3.17 BZD 6.34

-71.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$4.88 BZD 9.76

93.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$3.04 BZD 6.09

-56.25%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$10.7K BZD 21.3K

119.84%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$20.9K BZD 41.8K

60.72%

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

$134 R$666

$197 BZD 394

-32.16%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$34.43 BZD 68.9

-64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$73.6 BZD 147

-69.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$34.75 BZD 69.5

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$14.05 BZD 28.10

119.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$11.85 BZD 23.71

-30.55%

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

$73.5 BZD 147

-43.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$59.5 BZD 119

-16.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$149 BZD 299

-49.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$50.0 BZD 100

36.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$986 BZD 1,971

-8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$739 BZD 1,478

-28.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$771 BZD 1,542

74.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,267 BZD 2,534

-38.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$1,970 BZD 3,941

-67.36%

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 Caye Caulker: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Caye Caulker

$739 39.5% 40% $211

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Caye Caulker

$382 20.4% 77.9% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Caye Caulker

$305 16.3% 81% $136

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Caye Caulker

$176 9.4% 7.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Caye Caulker

$150 8% 41.5% $44

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Caye Caulker

$62 3.3% 3.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Caye Caulker

$58 3.1% 21.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $986 in Caye Caulker. 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 206% higher in Caye Caulker, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $32.00 in Caye Caulker. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $382 in Caye Caulker – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇿 Caye Caulker

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,729

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.446 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Caye Caulker 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Caye Caulker

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 Caye Caulker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caye Caulker costs about 44% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $2,779 in Caye Caulker. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,852 in Caye Caulker. That's a gap of about 44%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $32.00 in Caye Caulker. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap 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 Caye Caulker at $1,852. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caye Caulker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 versus $1,852 in Caye Caulker. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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