Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $720 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
Learn more

Cotacachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $720 in Cotacachi.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Cotacachi $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,175 in Cotacachi.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Cotacachi $1,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,629 in Cotacachi.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Cotacachi $1,629

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 79% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

$3.96 $3.96

154.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

$25.62 $25.62

57.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.99

$4.41 $4.41

93.88%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.95

$2.18 $2.18

9.17%

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

$1.61 R$8.11

$1.31 $1.31

22.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

$0.80 $0.80

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.44

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.62

$4.08 $4.08

-9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$1.11 $1.11

7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$1.52 $1.52

34.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$1.58 $1.58

-18.99%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$2.16 $2.16

6.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$6.29 $6.29

71.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.18

$5.47 $5.47

-19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.46

$7.45 $7.45

32.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.14

$2.24 $2.24

25.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

$1.14 $1.14

56.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.07

$1.32 $1.32

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

$1.14 $1.14

57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$1.21 $1.21

0.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$1.06 $1.06

-1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$0.83 $0.83

-7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

$1.05 $1.05

-36.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.15

$4.48 $4.48

-32.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.61

$7.63 $7.63

5.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

$1.57 $1.57

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

$3.13 $3.13

-19.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.96

$0.44 $0.44

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$252

$15.20 $15.20

229.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.15

$1.27 $1.27

-3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

$0.91 $0.91

1.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.08

$9.86 $9.86

-9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

$0.75 $0.75

73.33%

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

$20.7K $20.7K

15.13%

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

$28.5K $28.5K

15.50%

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

$133 R$671

$29.15 $29.15

357.63%

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

$10.82 R$54.4

$12.84 $12.84

-15.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$26.50 $26.50

-13.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$29.46 $29.46

4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

$9.84 $9.84

223.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.50

$6.56 $6.56

22.71%

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

$598 R$3,005

$73.7 $73.7

711.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.5K

$2,981 $2,981

350.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

$41.85 $41.85

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

$42.72 $42.72

16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

$94.0 $94.0

-20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

$60.6 $60.6

13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,541

$268 $268

236.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,662

$191 $191

177.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,669

$479 $479

176.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,800

$417 $417

81.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$609 $609

558.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,845

$506 $506

208.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,216

$429 $429

49.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.12

17.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Cotacachi

$191 26.5% 63.9% $339

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Cotacachi

$190 26.4% 11.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 59% $99

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 40.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Cotacachi

$108 15% 1.8% $1.9

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 61.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Cotacachi

$43 5.9% 9.2% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $268 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 49% 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 $26.00 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $190 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

14:57 2:57 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

8,238

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Cotacachi 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Cotacachi differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $720 including rent). Cotacachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $268 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cotacachi runs roughly 230% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $73.7 in Cotacachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $720 in Cotacachi versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cotacachi but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Cotacachi 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.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Cotacachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cotacachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.