Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Centennial, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $3,186 in Centennial, CO, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,273
/mo nomad
Centennial, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$3,186
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Centennial, CO

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

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,186 in Centennial, CO, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,273
  • Centennial, CO $3,186

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,430 in Centennial, CO, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,841
  • Centennial, CO $4,430

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $5,674 in Centennial, CO, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,409
  • Centennial, CO $5,674

Rio de Janeiro is about 60% cheaper than Centennial, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 6% below the global median, while Centennial, CO is 135% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.38 R$47.54
$19.85 $19.85
-52.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.00 R$203
$85.8 $85.8
-53.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.34 R$42.28
$13.19 $13.19
-36.77%
Cappuccino
$2.29 R$11.62
$6.11 $6.11
-62.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 R$8.05
$2.72 $2.72
-41.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.10
$2.19 $2.19
-53.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.14 R$10.85
$6.91 $6.91
-69.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 R$18.55
$7.76 $7.76
-52.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 R$5.72
$1.13 $1.13
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 R$10.60
$4.76 $4.76
-56.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.25 R$6.36
$6.44 $6.44
-80.59%
Eggs
$2.25 R$11.39
$6.10 $6.10
-63.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.92 R$55.3
$15.10 $15.10
-27.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.36 R$22.10
$13.45 $13.45
-67.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.60 R$48.66
$19.50 $19.50
-50.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 R$14.46
$5.62 $5.62
-49.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 R$9.16
$2.14 $2.14
-15.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 R$8.02
$4.68 $4.68
-66.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.83 R$9.28
$5.35 $5.35
-65.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 R$6.10
$2.55 $2.55
-52.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 R$5.35
$2.64 $2.64
-59.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 R$3.81
$2.36 $2.36
-68.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 R$3.45
$1.94 $1.94
-64.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.94 R$14.90
$10.70 $10.70
-72.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.98 R$40.43
$19.31 $19.31
-58.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 R$5.98
$2.76 $2.76
-57.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 R$12.26
$3.69 $3.69
-34.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 R$4.78
$5.39 $5.39
-82.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.3 R$255
$87.1 $87.1
-42.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 R$6.10
$3.66 $3.66
-67.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.83 R$4.20
$1.44 $1.44
-42.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.97 R$45.48
$24.72 $24.72
-63.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 R$6.53
$1.06 $1.06
21.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.8K R$115.5K
$30.0K $30.0K
-23.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.0K R$172.1K
$26.1K $26.1K
30.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 R$681
$197 $197
-31.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.73 R$54.4
$75.3 $75.3
-85.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.84 R$116
$73.7 $73.7
-68.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.16 R$153
$62.7 $62.7
-51.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.49 R$160
$20.21 $20.21
55.81%
Cinema Ticket
$7.73 R$39.17
$14.79 $14.79
-47.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$584 R$2,960
$1,497 $1,497
-61.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K R$64.9K
$24.9K $24.9K
-48.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.12 R$208
$58.3 $58.3
-29.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.26 R$250
$36.23 $36.23
35.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.7 R$373
$100 $100
-26.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.9 R$334
$130 $130
-49.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$900 R$4,561
$1,832 $1,832
-50.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 R$2,673
$1,669 $1,669
-68.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 R$6,754
$2,848 $2,848
-53.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$748 R$3,790
$2,281 $2,281
-67.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,990 R$20.2K
$3,183 $3,183
25.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,560 R$7,908
$2,812 $2,812
-44.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Centennial, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$640 R$3,246
$6,362 $6,362
-89.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
6.72
77.53%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Centennial, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$527
Centennial, CO
$1.7K 217% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$214
Centennial, CO
$472 121% $258
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$168
Centennial, CO
$346 106% $178
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$156
Centennial, CO
$341 119% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$103
Centennial, CO
$146 41.2% $43
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$59
Centennial, CO
$120 101% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$46
Centennial, CO
$92 102% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,832 in Centennial, CO. 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 893% higher in Centennial, CO, 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 $86.0 in Centennial, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $472 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇺🇸 Centennial, CO
🕒 Local time
19:03 7:03 PM
16:03 4:03 PM
3 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
109,741
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Centennial, CO 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Centennial, CO

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 Centennial, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rio de Janeiro and in Centennial, CO compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, $3,186 in Centennial, CO – roughly 150% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Rio de Janeiro compared to Centennial, CO?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $4,779 in Centennial, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Rio de Janeiro and Centennial, CO?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $86.0 in Centennial, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rio de Janeiro or Centennial, CO?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro and $3,186 in Centennial, CO. That's a gap of about 150%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Centennial, CO at $3,186. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Centennial, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Rio de Janeiro and Centennial, CO?
It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro to $3,186 in Centennial, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Centennial, CO safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Rio de Janeiro and Centennial, CO?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Centennial, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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