Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Diadema

For one person, living is cheaper in Diadema: $623 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Diadema
Learn more

Diadema Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Diadema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $623 in Diadema.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Diadema $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,074 in Diadema.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Diadema $1,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,526 in Diadema.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Diadema $1,526

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 105% more expensive than in Diadema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Diadema 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$8.72 R$44.22

7.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$49.36 R$250

-18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$8.79 R$44.55

-5.12%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$2.17 R$11.02

5.53%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.36 R$6.87

16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.89 R$4.52

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$2.83 R$14.36

-24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$4.27 R$21.67

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.18 R$5.97

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.87 R$9.48

11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.14 R$5.77

9.65%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.66 R$13.48

-15.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$9.11 R$46.17

19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$4.31 R$21.86

1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$10.73 R$54.4

-10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$2.70 R$13.70

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.85 R$9.36

-2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.61 R$8.18

-1.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.83 R$9.26

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.43 R$7.23

-16.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.23 R$6.25

-13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.92 R$4.65

-18.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.80 R$4.07

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.74 R$13.89

7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$9.00 R$45.64

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.69 R$8.58

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.47 R$12.51

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.27 R$6.43

-5.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.01 R$5.13

-17.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$9.27 R$46.97

-3.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.30 R$6.58

-0.77%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$23.9K R$120.9K

-4.51%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$33.3K R$168.8K

1.97%

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

$134 R$681

$43.18 R$219

211.07%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$14.52 R$73.6

-26.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$18.47 R$93.6

23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$19.98 R$101

50.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$7.84 R$39.73

-1.40%

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

$584 R$2,960

$439 R$2,223

33.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$7,604 R$38.5K

68.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$55.0 R$279

-25.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$57.9 R$293

-14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$95.3 R$483

-22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$85.5 R$434

-22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,209 R$6,128

230.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$796 R$4,036

95.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$505 R$2,558

26.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.12

7.28%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Diadema: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Diadema

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Diadema

$218 35.1% 2.2% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Diadema

$76 12.2% 54.6% $92

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Diadema

$154 24.7% 1.3% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Diadema

$132 21.2% 27.7% $29

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Diadema

$6.3 * 1% 89.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Diadema

$36 5.7% 21.8% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Rio de Janeiro pays 27% 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 $49.00 in Diadema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $218 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Diadema

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

393,237

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rio de Janeiro Diadema 360 km

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Diadema

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 Diadema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diadema is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $623 in Diadema – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $623 in Diadema versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Diadema but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Diadema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Diadema 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.

Expats usually find Diadema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.