Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Concord, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,978 in Concord, NC, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,285
/mo nomad
Concord, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$1,978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Concord, NC

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,978 in Concord, NC, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,285
  • Concord, NC $1,978

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,194 in Concord, NC, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,888
  • Concord, NC $3,194

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,410 in Concord, NC, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,491
  • Concord, NC $4,410

Rio de Janeiro is about 35% cheaper than Concord, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Concord, NC is 48% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.98 R$49.83
$15.80 $15.80
-36.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.34 R$201
$91.3 $91.3
-55.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.48 R$42.35
$11.87 $11.87
-28.56%
Cappuccino
$2.36 R$11.80
$7.17 $7.17
-67.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 R$8.13
$3.05 $3.05
-46.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.06
$2.27 $2.27
-55.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 R$12.19
$8.07 $8.07
-69.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R$18.43
$9.22 $9.22
-59.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 R$5.72
$0.78 $0.78
47.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 R$10.34
$3.30 $3.30
-37.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.29 R$6.42
$4.28 $4.28
-69.86%
Eggs
$2.27 R$11.32
$3.66 $3.66
-37.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.00 R$54.9
$6.58 $6.58
67.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.31 R$21.51
$6.13 $6.13
-29.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.74 R$48.63
$17.62 $17.62
-44.72%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 R$14.12
$6.52 $6.52
-56.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 R$9.17
$1.32 $1.32
39.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$7.96
$6.48 $6.48
-75.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.00
$2.20 $2.20
-18.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.28
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 R$5.34
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 R$3.75
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 R$3.29
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.05 R$15.21
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$8.18 R$40.84
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$5.92
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 R$11.92
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 R$5.06
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.2 R$250
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.33
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R$4.51
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.44 R$47.13
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 R$6.65
$0.99 $0.99
34.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K R$117.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K R$167.6K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 R$666
$139 $139
-4.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.23 R$61.0
$121 $121
-89.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.65 R$113
$68.0 $68.0
-66.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.56 R$158
$49.02 $49.02
-35.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.87 R$154
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.23 R$41.07
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$603 R$3,011
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K R$66.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.62 R$208
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.94 R$249
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 R$375
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.3 R$341
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$905 R$4,519
$1,304 $1,304
-30.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 R$2,633
$994 $994
-46.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,346 R$6,720
$2,007 $2,007
-32.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 R$3,865
$2,137 $2,137
-63.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,981 R$19.9K
$2,363 $2,363
68.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,562 R$7,798
$2,348 $2,348
-33.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Concord, NC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$643 R$3,210
$3,828 $3,828
-83.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
0
-

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 Concord, NC: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$527
Concord, NC
$994 88.4% $466
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$215
Concord, NC
$253 * 18% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$168
Concord, NC
$328 94.8% $160
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$164
Concord, NC
$328 100% $164
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$106
Concord, NC
- * 100%
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Concord, NC
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$48
Concord, NC
$49 * 2.1% $1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,304 in Concord, NC. 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 495% higher in Concord, NC, 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 Concord, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $253 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇺🇸 Concord, NC
🕒 Local time
20:52 8:52 PM
19:52 7:52 PM
1 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
42,695
💱 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 Concord, NC 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Concord, NC

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 Concord, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Concord, NC cheaper than Rio de Janeiro?
Yes – Concord, NC is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $2,967 in Concord, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
How do food prices compare in Rio de Janeiro and in Concord, NC?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Concord, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Rio de Janeiro or in Concord, NC?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $91.0 in Concord, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Rio de Janeiro or in Concord, NC?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Concord, NC at $1,978. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Concord, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Concord, NC more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Concord, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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