Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cerquilho

For one person, living is cheaper in Cerquilho: $762 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Cerquilho
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Cerquilho Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Cerquilho

🇧🇷 Brazil

$762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $762 in Cerquilho, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Cerquilho $762

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,244 in Cerquilho, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Cerquilho $1,244

A family of three spends $2,318 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,727 in Cerquilho, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Cerquilho $1,727

Rio de Janeiro costs about 55% more than Cerquilho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Cerquilho are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Cerquilho 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$6.36 R$33.98

42.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$29.62 R$158

25.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$7.38 R$39.49

8.67%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$1.87 R$10.01

17.11%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$1.46 R$7.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$1.13 R$6.05

-12.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$1.14 R$6.08

78.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$2.84 R$15.21

21.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$1.11 R$5.94

-4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$1.47 R$7.84

34.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$1.07 R$5.73

9.35%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$2.59 R$13.82

-14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$8.12 R$43.41

24.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$1.81 R$9.66

127.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$5.68 R$30.37

61.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$1.81 R$9.69

50.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.77 R$9.47

-3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$1.10 R$5.86

39.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$1.77 R$9.44

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$1.33 R$7.11

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$0.54 R$2.89

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$0.84 R$4.47

-22.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$0.58 R$3.12

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$1.34 R$7.16

108.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$8.48 R$45.34

-11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$1.13 R$6.06

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$2.75 R$14.73

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$1.02 R$5.47

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$36.37 R$194

45.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.24 R$6.60

-5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$1.34 R$7.16

-41.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$9.15 R$48.94

-8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$1.13 R$6.07

7.08%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$22.0K R$117.6K

-2.43%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$32.1K R$171.8K

-3.10%

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

$124 R$665

$41.30 R$221

201.36%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$13.13 R$70.2

-23.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$14.66 R$78.4

42.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$24.20 R$129

17.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$29.16 R$156

0.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$7.26 R$38.82

4.96%

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

$563 R$3,010

$405 R$2,165

39.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$7,037 R$37.6K

71.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$31.36 R$168

25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$18.46 R$98.7

151.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$55.5 R$297

23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$78.3 R$418

-18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$297 R$1,588

161.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$238 R$1,275

98.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$727 R$3,889

91.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$494 R$2,641

49.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$1,677 R$8,967

102.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$1,041 R$5,564

50.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.12

7.28%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cerquilho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Cerquilho

$239 31.3% 49.6% $235

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Cerquilho

$167 22% 16.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Cerquilho

$69 9.1% 55.5% $86

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Cerquilho

$117 15.4% 21.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Cerquilho

$83 10.8% 15.6% $15

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Cerquilho

$48 6.4% 21.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Cerquilho

$39 5.1% 11.2% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $297 in Cerquilho. 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 $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $30 in Cerquilho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $167 – making Cerquilho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Cerquilho

🕒 Local time

19:20 7:20 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

44,695

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio de Janeiro vs Cerquilho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 55% more than Cerquilho, 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 $1,774 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,143 in Cerquilho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cerquilho, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $297 there versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $405 in Cerquilho. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Rio de Janeiro, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

For expats, Cerquilho is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 36% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.