Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Diego Martin

For one person, living costs are similar in Rio de Janeiro and in Diego Martin: $1,289 and $1,343 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Diego Martin
Learn more

Diego Martin Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Diego Martin

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Diego Martin

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,343 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Diego Martin $1,343

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,296 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Diego Martin $2,296

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,249 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Diego Martin $3,249

Rio de Janeiro is about 4% cheaper than Diego Martin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 5% below the global median, while Diego Martin is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$11.69 TTD 78.6

-13.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$87.3 TTD 587

-53.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$8.67 TTD 58.3

-1.38%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$3.80 TTD 25.54

-37.37%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.22 TTD 8.22

31.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.87 TTD 5.84

18.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.23 TTD 14.97

10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.74 TTD 25.14

-1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.46 TTD 16.53

-51.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.35 TTD 15.78

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.78 TTD 18.73

-53.96%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$4.43 TTD 29.78

-48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.79 TTD 45.69

58.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$9.89 TTD 66.5

-55.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$8.92 TTD 60.0

10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$5.57 TTD 37.47

-49.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$2.45 TTD 16.50

-27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$3.60 TTD 24.24

-55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$4.30 TTD 28.93

-58.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.70 TTD 4.72

74.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.76 TTD 5.12

36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.49 TTD 10.05

-48.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.17 TTD 7.85

-42.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$5.44 TTD 36.62

-44.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$17.52 TTD 118

-53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.48 TTD 9.99

-19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.98 TTD 20.06

-15.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.87 TTD 5.83

13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$73.4 TTD 493

-31.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.00 TTD 6.73

22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$0.91 TTD 6.15

1.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$14.85 TTD 99.9

-39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.17 TTD 7.84

11.11%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$14.4K TTD 97.0K

65.52%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$41.3K TTD 278.0K

-20.49%

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

$133 R$676

$44.68 TTD 301

198.57%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$41.43 TTD 279

-73.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$44.69 TTD 301

-48.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$43.24 TTD 291

-28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$8.84 TTD 59.5

-8.94%

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

$598 R$3,029

$398 TTD 2,677

50.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$10.7K TTD 71.9K

25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$53.9 TTD 362

-21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$36.76 TTD 247

35.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$86.7 TTD 584

-14.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$88.5 TTD 595

-22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$666 TTD 4,481

35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$434 TTD 2,917

22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,443 TTD 9,704

-8.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$954 TTD 6,414

-20.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$1,735 TTD 11.7K

-63.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.75

107.48%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Diego Martin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Diego Martin

$434 32.3% 18.1% $96

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Diego Martin

$324 24.1% 51% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Diego Martin

$131 9.7% 21.7% $36

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Diego Martin

$192 14.3% 16.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Diego Martin

$120 8.9% 13.2% $14

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Diego Martin

$82 6.1% 37.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Diego Martin

$61 4.5% 29.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $666 in Diego Martin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 171% higher in Diego Martin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $87.0 in Diego Martin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $324 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇹🇹 Diego Martin

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

07:58 7:58 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

25,370

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TTD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Diego Martin 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Diego Martin

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 Diego Martin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diego Martin costs about 4% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $2,015 in Diego Martin. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Diego Martin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $87.0 in Diego Martin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Diego Martin at $1,343. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Diego Martin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,289 versus $1,343 in Diego Martin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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