Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,185 a month against $2,037 in Dartmouth, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
Learn more

Dartmouth Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,037 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Dartmouth $2,037

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,048 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Dartmouth $3,048

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,058 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Dartmouth $4,058

Rio de Janeiro is about 42% cheaper than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 12% below the global median, while Dartmouth is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.75

$10.76 CA$15.09

-24.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$60.4 CA$84.7

-38.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.27

$7.11 CA$9.96

5.77%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.54

$3.64 CA$5.10

-42.31%

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

$1.36 R$7.47

$2.09 CA$2.93

-34.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.27

$1.95 CA$2.73

-50.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.84

$4.54 CA$6.36

-56.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.89

$5.69 CA$7.98

-42.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.96

$2.40 CA$3.37

-54.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.24

$2.08 CA$2.92

-10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.17

$3.55 CA$4.97

-68.45%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.08

$3.63 CA$5.08

-39.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.4

$7.86 CA$11.02

26.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.55

$9.46 CA$13.26

-56.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.7

$10.79 CA$15.12

-14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.22

$3.54 CA$4.97

-26.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.26

$1.57 CA$2.20

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.05

$4.70 CA$6.59

-68.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.42

$5.84 CA$8.18

-70.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.34

$2.05 CA$2.87

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.48

$2.13 CA$2.99

-53.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.60

$2.59 CA$3.63

-74.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.34

$2.21 CA$3.10

-72.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.77

$14.25 CA$19.98

-81.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.52

$14.34 CA$20.10

-49.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.88

$3.44 CA$4.83

-68.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.28

$3.98 CA$5.58

-43.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.95 CA$2.73

-54.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$287

$60.7 CA$85.1

-13.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$2.98 CA$4.18

-60.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$1.37 CA$1.93

-50.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.79

$21.87 CA$30.66

-60.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.57

$1.15 CA$1.62

4.35%

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

$21.9K R$120.0K

$27.2K CA$38.1K

-19.45%

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

$31.0K R$170.1K

$21.4K CA$30.0K

44.72%

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

$126 R$689

$79.0 CA$111

58.97%

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

$10.14 R$55.6

$41.19 CA$57.7

-75.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$64.0 CA$89.7

-67.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$36.24 CA$50.8

-21.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.62

$12.76 CA$17.88

-42.01%

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

$537 R$2,946

$375 CA$526

43.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.2K

$12.6K CA$17.6K

26.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$212

$39.82 CA$55.8

-2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$247

$33.62 CA$47.13

34.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$376

$68.6 CA$96.2

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$74.0 CA$104

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,212

$1,237 CA$1,734

-37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,692

$1,061 CA$1,488

-53.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,002

$2,010 CA$2,818

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,076

$1,838 CA$2,576

-59.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,516

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,697

$2,666 CA$3,736

-74.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.6

159.35%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Dartmouth

$1.1K 52.1% 116% $571

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Dartmouth

$353 17.3% 78.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Dartmouth

$184 9% 17.5% $27

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Dartmouth

$201 9.9% 45.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Dartmouth

$97 4.8% 0.2% $0.2

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Dartmouth

$78 3.8% 29.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Dartmouth

$62 3% 42.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,237 in Dartmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dartmouth are about 4 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 $60 in Dartmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $353 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

70,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.16 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Dartmouth 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Dartmouth

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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, $2,037 in Dartmouth – Rio de Janeiro comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,056 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $768 there versus $1,237 in Dartmouth.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,037 in Dartmouth. That makes Rio de Janeiro about 42% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,185, than in Dartmouth at $2,037. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dartmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,037 in Dartmouth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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