Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Crooked Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,241 in Crooked Island, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Crooked Island

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Crooked Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,241 in Crooked Island.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Crooked Island $2,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,565 in Crooked Island.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Crooked Island $3,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,888 in Crooked Island.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Crooked Island $4,888

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 43% less than in Crooked Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Crooked Island is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$49.87 BSD 49.87

-79.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$12.91 BSD 12.91

-34.31%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$4.02 BSD 4.02

-41.29%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$3.99 BSD 3.99

-59.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.05 BSD 2.05

-50.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$4.94 BSD 4.94

-50.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$4.93 BSD 4.93

-25.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$7.94 BSD 7.94

-85.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$6.07 BSD 6.07

-65.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$3.43 BSD 3.43

-62.39%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$11.25 BSD 11.25

-79.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$13.12 BSD 13.12

-16.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$8.22 BSD 8.22

18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$14.10 BSD 14.10

-79.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.24 BSD 1.24

29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$12.10 BSD 12.10

-85.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.14 BSD 2.14

-41.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.80 BSD 2.80

-61.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.02 BSD 1.02

-26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.98 BSD 1.98

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$29.46 BSD 29.46

-72.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$5.03 BSD 5.03

-76.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$5.10 BSD 5.10

-53.14%

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

$1.99 BSD 1.99

-54.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

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

$134 R$666

$219 BSD 219

-38.94%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$58.8 BSD 58.8

-79.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$68.7 BSD 68.7

-67.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$79.2 BSD 79.2

-47.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$50.0 BSD 50.0

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$254 BSD 254

-70.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$99.4 BSD 99.4

-31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$540 BSD 540

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$558 BSD 558

-5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$1,615 BSD 1,615

-16.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,584 BSD 1,584

-51.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$1,101 BSD 1,101

-41.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Crooked Island: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Crooked Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Crooked Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Crooked Island

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Crooked Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Crooked Island

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Crooked Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Crooked Island

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $540 in Crooked Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crooked Island pays 71% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇸 Crooked Island

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Crooked Island 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Crooked Island

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 Crooked Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Crooked Island differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $2,241 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Crooked Island. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $540 in Crooked Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% higher in Crooked Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,241 in Crooked Island – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,241 in Crooked Island, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Crooked Island. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Crooked Island 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Crooked Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.