Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Crato Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Crato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $775 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,222 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,669 in Crato.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 24% more expensive than Crato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Crato 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.52 R$28.45

30.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$27.55 R$142

28.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.26 R$32.24

2.88%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.72 R$8.87

14.53%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.12 R$5.79

13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.66 R$3.39

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.77 R$9.11

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.74 R$14.12

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$1.01 R$5.19

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.52 R$7.84

11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.14 R$5.88

23.68%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$1.98 R$10.18

1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$7.98 R$41.11

0.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.72 R$19.17

-2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.29 R$37.53

12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.13 R$10.97

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.32 R$6.79

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.16 R$5.97

28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.50 R$7.75

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.20 R$6.16

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.07 R$5.50

2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.75 R$3.88

-9.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.65 R$3.35

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.15 R$11.06

-9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$7.61 R$39.20

14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.20 R$6.20

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.07 R$10.67

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.86 R$4.41

43.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.17 R$197

2.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.06 R$5.47

4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.70 R$3.59

1.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.46 R$33.28

14.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$20.8K R$107.0K

-2.02%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$28.0K R$144.3K

-3.25%

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

$104 R$535

$61.1 R$315

69.87%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.73 R$70.7

-11.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$18.78 R$96.8

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.92 R$118

12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.33 R$110

14.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.23 R$32.10

5.94%

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

$542 R$2,791

$273 R$1,407

98.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,372 R$32.8K

85.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$49.52 R$255

-10.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$42.49 R$219

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$75.2 R$387

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$65.4 R$337

-5.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$321 R$1,655

36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$218 R$1,122

51.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$582 R$2,999

44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$426 R$2,193

33.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,678 R$8,644

100.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,135 R$5,849

22.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Crato: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $321 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $28.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $175 per month, with Crato cheaper across the board.

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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,440 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,162 in Crato 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $321 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 3% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $542 in Rio de Janeiro versus $273 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $775 in Crato versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.