Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Dourados

For one person, living is cheaper in Dourados: $881 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Dourados
Learn more

Dourados Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Dourados

🇧🇷 Brazil

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $881 in Dourados.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Dourados $881

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,409 in Dourados.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Dourados $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,937 in Dourados.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Dourados $1,937

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 44% more expensive than in Dourados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Dourados 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$46.86

$6.05 R$30.20

55.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$200

$31.61 R$158

26.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$41.68

$7.72 R$38.57

8.03%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.45

$2.09 R$10.44

9.57%

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

$1.59 R$7.93

$1.33 R$6.63

19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.03

$0.77 R$3.84

31.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.69

$2.02 R$10.10

5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.28

$3.07 R$15.35

19.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.63

$1.07 R$5.34

5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.45

$1.73 R$8.64

20.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.27

$1.28 R$6.42

-2.34%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.23

$2.15 R$10.75

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$54.5

$9.53 R$47.61

14.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$21.79

$4.35 R$21.71

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$47.96

$8.40 R$41.97

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.26

$2.24 R$11.19

27.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$1.31 R$6.56

38.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.91

$1.21 R$6.06

30.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.15

$1.53 R$7.65

19.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.01

$1.27 R$6.35

-5.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.11 R$5.55

-4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.76

$0.84 R$4.20

-10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.40

$0.83 R$4.17

-18.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.68

$2.47 R$12.36

19.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$39.85

$7.87 R$39.30

1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.89

$1.27 R$6.36

-7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.09

$2.03 R$10.17

19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.71

$1.00 R$4.99

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$251

$44.26 R$221

13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.01

$1.32 R$6.60

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.14

$0.92 R$4.61

-9.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$44.83

$8.17 R$40.82

9.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.44

$1.31 R$6.53

-1.53%

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

$22.8K R$113.8K

$23.9K R$119.5K

-4.78%

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

$34.0K R$169.7K

$32.6K R$162.8K

4.22%

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

$134 R$671

$75.6 R$378

77.62%

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

$10.73 R$53.6

$12.64 R$63.2

-15.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$114

$20.95 R$105

9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$151

$25.92 R$130

16.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$157

$27.94 R$140

12.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$38.60

$7.39 R$36.94

4.60%

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

$584 R$2,917

$284 R$1,420

105.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.0K

$7,338 R$36.7K

74.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$205

$54.8 R$274

-25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$246

$50.3 R$251

-2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$368

$92.1 R$460

-19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$329

$73.8 R$369

-10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,495

$360 R$1,798

149.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,634

$240 R$1,198

119.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,657

$686 R$3,425

94.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,736

$481 R$2,402

55.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$19.9K

$1,719 R$8,588

132.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,794

$1,189 R$5,939

31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,200

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.45%

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 Dourados: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Dourados

$240 27.2% 54.5% $288

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Dourados

$194 22.1% 9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Dourados

$109 12.4% 34.9% $59

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Dourados

$121 13.8% 22.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Dourados

$122 13.8% 17.8% $18

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Dourados

$54 6.2% 8.8% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Dourados

$41 4.6% 10.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $360 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40 in Rio de Janeiro vs $32 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $194 per month, with Dourados cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Dourados

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

243,367

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Dourados 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Dourados

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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,322 in Dourados to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $360 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $32 versus $40 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Dourados is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.