Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Clarksville, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,462 in Clarksville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,285
/mo nomad
Clarksville, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Clarksville, TN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,462 in Clarksville, TN.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,285
  • Clarksville, TN $2,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,545 in Clarksville, TN.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,888
  • Clarksville, TN $3,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,629 in Clarksville, TN.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,491
  • Clarksville, TN $4,629

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 48% less than in Clarksville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Clarksville, TN is 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.98 R$49.83
$19.70 $19.70
-49.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.34 R$201
$86.4 $86.4
-53.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.48 R$42.35
$10.78 $10.78
-21.34%
Cappuccino
$2.36 R$11.80
$5.54 $5.54
-57.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 R$8.13
$2.44 $2.44
-33.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.06
$1.86 $1.86
-45.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 R$12.19
$4.91 $4.91
-50.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R$18.43
$7.64 $7.64
-51.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 R$5.72
$1.04 $1.04
10.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 R$10.34
$2.67 $2.67
-22.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.29 R$6.42
$3.89 $3.89
-66.84%
Eggs
$2.27 R$11.32
$3.29 $3.29
-31.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.00 R$54.9
$14.22 $14.22
-22.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.31 R$21.51
$14.43 $14.43
-70.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.74 R$48.63
$13.10 $13.10
-25.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 R$14.12
$6.59 $6.59
-57.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 R$9.17
$1.60 $1.60
15.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$7.96
$4.20 $4.20
-61.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.00
$4.28 $4.28
-57.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.28
$2.12 $2.12
-40.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 R$5.34
$3.68 $3.68
-70.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 R$3.75
$2.64 $2.64
-71.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 R$3.29
$2.77 $2.77
-76.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.05 R$15.21
$8.59 $8.59
-64.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.18 R$40.84
$12.20 $12.20
-32.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$5.92
$1.68 $1.68
-29.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 R$11.92
$3.23 $3.23
-26.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 R$5.06
$1.54 $1.54
-34.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.2 R$250
$49.88 $49.88
0.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.33
$5.13 $5.13
-75.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R$4.51
$1.99 $1.99
-54.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.44 R$47.13
$30.50 $30.50
-69.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 R$6.65
$1.01 $1.01
31.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K R$117.0K
$29.8K $29.8K
-21.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K R$167.6K
$25.3K $25.3K
32.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 R$666
$158 $158
-15.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.23 R$61.0
$82.8 $82.8
-85.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.65 R$113
$76.9 $76.9
-70.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.56 R$158
$29.94 $29.94
5.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.87 R$154
$3.89 $3.89
693.57%
Cinema Ticket
$8.23 R$41.07
$13.95 $13.95
-41.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$603 R$3,011
$841 $841
-28.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K R$66.1K
$24.8K $24.8K
-46.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.62 R$208
$42.01 $42.01
-0.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.94 R$249
$37.94 $37.94
31.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 R$375
$98.3 $98.3
-23.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.3 R$341
$119 $119
-42.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$905 R$4,519
$1,235 $1,235
-26.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 R$2,633
$1,198 $1,198
-55.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,346 R$6,720
$2,152 $2,152
-37.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 R$3,865
$1,589 $1,589
-51.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,981 R$19.9K
$2,015 $2,015
97.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,562 R$7,798
$2,002 $2,002
-21.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Clarksville, TN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$643 R$3,210
$3,836 $3,836
-83.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
6.62
80.21%

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 Clarksville, TN: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$527
Clarksville, TN
$1.2K 127% $671
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$215
Clarksville, TN
$397 85.2% $183
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$168
Clarksville, TN
$318 88.8% $149
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$164
Clarksville, TN
$313 91.3% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$106
Clarksville, TN
$134 26.6% $28
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Clarksville, TN
$71 18.6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$48
Clarksville, TN
$58 20.4% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,235 in Clarksville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Clarksville, TN pays 497% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $86.0 in Clarksville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $397 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇺🇸 Clarksville, TN
🕒 Local time
18:25 6:25 PM
16:25 4:25 PM
2 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
180,716
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Clarksville, TN 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Clarksville, TN

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 Clarksville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rio de Janeiro and in Clarksville, TN?
Rio de Janeiro and Clarksville, TN differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $2,462 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 497% lower in Clarksville, TN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Rio de Janeiro and in Clarksville, TN?
Rent for a central apartment: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,235 in Clarksville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Clarksville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $86.0 in Clarksville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,462 in Clarksville, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Clarksville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Rio de Janeiro and Clarksville, TN?
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.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Clarksville, TN safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Clarksville, TN are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Rio de Janeiro or Clarksville, TN?
Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Clarksville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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