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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Rio de Janeiro versus $787 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,238 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,026 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,689 in Dourados.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 20% more expensive than Dourados, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Dourados 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 R$34.96

$5.27 R$26.17

33.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.46 R$176

$27.12 R$135

30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$30.78

$6.28 R$31.19

-1.43%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R$9.92

$1.79 R$8.91

11.73%

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

$1.29 R$6.41

$1.08 R$5.36

19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.46

$0.66 R$3.29

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.75

$1.85 R$9.19

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.09

$2.72 R$13.53

-3.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.62

$1.01 R$5.04

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$8.40

$1.52 R$7.56

11.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.04

$1.13 R$5.63

25.66%

Eggs

$1.92 R$9.55

$1.94 R$9.62

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R$38.73

$8.06 R$40.07

-3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.05

$3.58 R$17.78

1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 R$39.72

$7.21 R$35.82

10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 R$11.60

$2.15 R$10.68

8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.25 R$6.19

28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.25

$1.19 R$5.91

22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.80

$1.46 R$7.26

7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.19

$1.19 R$5.93

5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.76

$1.11 R$5.49

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.44

$0.74 R$3.66

-6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.07

$0.61 R$3.03

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.77

$2.15 R$10.69

-8.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 R$39.28

$7.27 R$36.12

8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.27 R$6.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.52

$2.04 R$10.15

3.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 R$6.38

$0.86 R$4.30

48.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 R$191

$38.33 R$191

0.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.54

$1.11 R$5.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.54

$0.71 R$3.52

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$38.70

$6.45 R$32.04

20.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.04 R$5.15

1.92%

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

$20.9K R$104.0K

$21.0K R$104.6K

-0.54%

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

$27.9K R$138.6K

$27.3K R$135.8K

2.01%

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

$103 R$513

$60.8 R$302

69.78%

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

$12.22 R$60.7

$13.46 R$66.9

-9.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.82 R$93.5

$18.56 R$92.3

1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 R$127

$22.12 R$110

15.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 R$120

$21.96 R$109

10.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 R$31.72

$6.12 R$30.44

4.25%

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

$551 R$2,738

$272 R$1,353

102.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$58.1K

$6,463 R$32.1K

80.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.89 R$228

$49.84 R$248

-7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.16 R$205

$42.84 R$213

-3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$380

$75.9 R$377

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$302

$65.6 R$326

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,154

$311 R$1,544

39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R$1,669

$215 R$1,068

56.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 R$4,237

$591 R$2,937

44.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 R$2,926

$431 R$2,145

36.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 R$14.5K

$1,873 R$9,309

56.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 R$6,668

$1,220 R$6,062

10.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 R$2,708

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: April 21, 2026

Last update for Dourados: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Rio de Janeiro and $311 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $173 per month, with Dourados 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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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 $1,422 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,181 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: $433 in Rio de Janeiro versus $311 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $27.00 versus $35.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Dourados gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $787 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.