Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Chicago, IL $3,169

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,682 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Chicago, IL $4,682

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $6,196 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Chicago, IL $6,196

Rio de Janeiro is about 59% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Chicago, IL is 136% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$21.62 $21.62

-53.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$91.2 $91.2

-55.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$13.09 $13.09

-35.22%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$5.78 $5.78

-59.17%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.64 $2.64

-38.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.28 $2.28

-55.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$6.94 $6.94

-64.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$8.93 $8.93

-58.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.27 $1.27

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$3.94 $3.94

-47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$4.96 $4.96

-73.99%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$4.64 $4.64

-51.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$13.97 $13.97

-21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$14.37 $14.37

-70.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$18.59 $18.59

-47.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$5.37 $5.37

-47.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.93 $1.93

-4.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$4.01 $4.01

-60.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$4.94 $4.94

-63.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.80 $2.80

-55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.76 $2.76

-61.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.16 $2.16

-65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$3.12 $3.12

-78.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$15.71 $15.71

-80.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$15.23 $15.23

-46.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.57 $2.57

-53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.48 $3.48

-31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.48 $2.48

-59.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$74.4 $74.4

-32.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.23 $3.23

-60.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.43 $1.43

-37.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$24.33 $24.33

-61.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.25 $1.25

6.40%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-34.69%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

29.21%

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

$134 R$666

$195 $195

-31.39%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$69.0 $69.0

-82.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$62.1 $62.1

-63.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$54.5 $54.5

-42.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$27.80 $27.80

11.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$17.84 $17.84

-53.87%

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

$603 R$3,011

$1,513 $1,513

-60.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-57.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$68.1 $68.1

-38.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$51.6 $51.6

-3.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$101 $101

-26.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$141 $141

-51.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$2,437 $2,437

-62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,662 $1,662

-68.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$4,644 $4,644

-71.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$2,751 $2,751

-71.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$4,036 $4,036

-1.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,677 $2,677

-41.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$4,861 $4,861

-86.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.77

76.22%

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 Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53% 215% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3% 110% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4% 93.4% $157

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3% 116% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2% 54.2% $57

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 57.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 87.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,437 in Chicago, IL. 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 656% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $450 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

00:39 12:39 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Chicago, IL 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, $3,169 in Chicago, IL – roughly 147% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $4,753 in Chicago, IL. 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.

Groceries cost about 109% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $91.0 in Chicago, IL. 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 Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $3,169 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.