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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $925 in Curepipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,472 in Curepipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,020 in Curepipe.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 4% more expensive than Curepipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Curepipe 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$36.03

$3.27 MUR 155

120.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$178

$43.43 MUR 2,052

-18.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$32.25

$4.59 MUR 217

40.31%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$9.88

$2.58 MUR 122

-23.64%

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

$1.27 R$6.38

$1.01 MUR 47.64

25.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.49

$0.61 MUR 28.77

47.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.83

$1.79 MUR 84.5

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.43

$2.77 MUR 131

-3.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.82

$1.35 MUR 63.6

-14.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.50

$0.66 MUR 31.37

157.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.07

$1.32 MUR 62.4

6.82%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.00

$2.35 MUR 111

-14.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$40.27

$7.77 MUR 367

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.11

$6.11 MUR 289

-40.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$41.04

$8.47 MUR 400

-3.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.00

$2.03 MUR 96.0

18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.91

$1.85 MUR 87.3

-14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.48

$1.45 MUR 68.4

2.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.81

$2.71 MUR 128

-42.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.53

$0.92 MUR 43.29

41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.52

$1.00 MUR 47.21

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.42

$0.84 MUR 39.63

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.90

$0.53 MUR 25.25

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.75

$6.10 MUR 288

-68.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$43.69

$7.20 MUR 340

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.08

$1.66 MUR 78.3

-27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.77

$2.07 MUR 97.8

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.16

$0.91 MUR 43.12

35.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$197

$36.45 MUR 1,722

7.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.57

$3.26 MUR 154

-65.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.57

$2.72 MUR 129

-73.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$36.90

$4.36 MUR 206

69.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.37

$1.47 MUR 69.4

-27.21%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-30.11%

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

$27.1K R$135.6K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-4.35%

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

$104 R$519

$49.09 MUR 2,319

111.47%

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

$12.18 R$61.0

$18.63 MUR 880

-34.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$93.6

$31.08 MUR 1,469

-39.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$128

$17.44 MUR 824

47.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$122

$2.17 MUR 103

1023.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$33.05

$6.22 MUR 294

6.11%

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

$542 R$2,712

$152 MUR 7,182

256.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$59.1K

$3,135 MUR 148.1K

276.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$221

$40.67 MUR 1,922

8.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$210

$33.19 MUR 1,568

26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$385

$74.4 MUR 3,514

3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$310

$72.7 MUR 3,434

-14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,194

$505 MUR 23.9K

-13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,654

$362 MUR 17.1K

-8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,196

$1,033 MUR 48.8K

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,849

$668 MUR 31.6K

-14.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$16.8K

$748 MUR 35.3K

348.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$6,950

$635 MUR 30.0K

118.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,743

$880 MUR 41.6K

-37.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

5.5

106.00%

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 Curepipe: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $505 in Curepipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curepipe pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $43.00 in Curepipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $196 per month, with Rio de Janeiro 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 Curepipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curepipe is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Curepipe earns 60% less. 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $505 in Curepipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curepipe runs roughly 8% 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 $152 in Curepipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $925 in Curepipe versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Curepipe but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Curepipe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Curepipe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Curepipe 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 Curepipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.