Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Chimbote

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimbote: $20.08 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Chimbote

🇵🇪 Peru

$20.08

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $20 in Chimbote.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Chimbote $20

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $31 in Chimbote.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Chimbote $31

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $42 in Chimbote.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Chimbote $42

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 5803% more expensive than in Chimbote, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Chimbote 99% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.89

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$205

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.40

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.58

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

$1.36 R$7.49

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.97

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.27

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.19

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.12

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.62

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.9

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.26

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.28

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.08

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.45

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.36

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.81

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.82

$0.95 PEN 3.27

-7.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$288

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.49

$1.49 PEN 5.12

-20.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.72

$2.96 PEN 10.18

-77.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.94

$2.97 PEN 10.23

193.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.59

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

$21.9K R$120.4K

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

$31.0K R$170.7K

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

$126 R$691

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

$10.14 R$55.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$159

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.75

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

$537 R$2,955

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$248

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$353

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,225

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,701

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,026

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,088

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,542

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,708

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chimbote: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Chimbote

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Chimbote

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Chimbote

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Chimbote

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Chimbote

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Chimbote

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Chimbote

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇵🇪 Chimbote

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

206,213

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Chimbote 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Chimbote

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 Chimbote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chimbote is about 98% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,778 in Rio de Janeiro and $30 in Chimbote 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.

At $20 in Chimbote versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chimbote but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Chimbote the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.