Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Contagem

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $732 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $732 in Contagem, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Contagem $732

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,176 in Contagem, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Contagem $1,176

A family of three spends $2,318 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,621 in Contagem, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Contagem $1,621

Rio de Janeiro costs about 62% more than Contagem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Contagem 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$5.70 R$30.46

59.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$27.50 R$147

35.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$6.69 R$35.75

19.88%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$1.62 R$8.64

35.19%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$1.33 R$7.10

9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$0.58 R$3.08

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$1.23 R$6.56

65.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$2.36 R$12.61

46.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$0.95 R$5.08

11.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$1.70 R$9.07

16.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$1.26 R$6.75

-7.14%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$1.82 R$9.75

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$9.19 R$49.12

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$3.34 R$17.83

23.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$7.26 R$38.84

26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$1.76 R$9.43

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.15 R$6.13

48.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$0.91 R$4.89

68.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$1.48 R$7.92

12.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$1.02 R$5.45

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$0.97 R$5.21

2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$0.74 R$3.94

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$0.76 R$4.06

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$1.45 R$7.76

92.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$5.49 R$29.37

36.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$0.92 R$4.91

18.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$1.26 R$6.75

84.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$1.35 R$7.22

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$74.1 R$396

-28.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.06 R$5.65

10.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$0.73 R$3.88

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$6.08 R$32.50

37.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$1.23 R$6.56

-1.63%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$21.9K R$117.3K

-2.14%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$29.6K R$158.1K

5.30%

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

$124 R$665

$73.6 R$393

69.22%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$9.32 R$49.85

7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$18.04 R$96.5

15.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$24.94 R$133

13.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$21.90 R$117

33.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$6.78 R$36.24

12.39%

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

$563 R$3,010

$133 R$710

324.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$2,489 R$13.3K

383.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$57.4 R$307

-31.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$45.12 R$241

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$62.4 R$334

9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$45.24 R$242

40.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$213 R$1,141

263.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$143 R$765

230.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$453 R$2,420

207.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$302 R$1,615

144.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$1,856 R$9,924

82.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$926 R$4,950

69.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

$242 R$1,292

146.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.67

11.81%

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 Contagem: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Contagem

$143 19.6% 69.8% $330

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Contagem

$167 22.8% 17% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Contagem

$101 13.8% 35% $54

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Contagem

$103 14.2% 30.9% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Contagem

$95 12.9% 3.3% $3.3

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Contagem

$84 11.5% 36.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Contagem

$39 5.3% 11.7% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $213 in Contagem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rio de Janeiro are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $28 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $167 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Contagem

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

621,863

💱 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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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 Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,097 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $213 there versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $133 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $732, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,182. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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