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: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $783 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,250 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,716 in Dourados.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 23% more expensive than Dourados, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Dourados 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.37 R$27.66

34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$26.77 R$138

32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.21 R$31.99

3.70%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.80 R$9.28

9.44%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.13 R$5.82

12.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.63 R$3.24

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.75 R$9.00

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.77 R$14.28

-3.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$0.96 R$4.93

20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.51 R$7.79

12.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.19 R$6.14

18.49%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$2.01 R$10.37

-0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$8.01 R$41.28

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.69 R$19.00

-1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.35 R$37.84

11.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.09 R$10.76

14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.30 R$6.68

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.15 R$5.95

29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.51 R$7.80

3.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.14 R$5.86

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.09 R$5.63

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.71 R$3.64

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.67 R$3.45

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.14 R$11.03

-8.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$8.60 R$44.29

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.22 R$6.27

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$1.98 R$10.20

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.89 R$4.57

38.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$39.22 R$202

0.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.05 R$5.43

5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.75 R$3.86

-5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.42 R$33.07

14.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.03 R$5.32

3.88%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$20.4K R$105.3K

-0.40%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$27.3K R$140.8K

-0.90%

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

$104 R$535

$60.7 R$313

70.91%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.46 R$69.4

-9.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$19.16 R$98.7

-2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.47 R$116

14.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.61 R$111

12.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.28 R$32.37

5.10%

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

$542 R$2,791

$270 R$1,388

101.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,446 R$33.2K

83.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$49.32 R$254

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$42.06 R$217

-0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$75.4 R$388

1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$65.2 R$336

-4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$311 R$1,600

41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$218 R$1,123

51.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$594 R$3,057

41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$426 R$2,196

33.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,753 R$9,031

91.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,054 R$5,430

31.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Dourados: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $311 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $176 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 23% 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 $1,440 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,174 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: $438 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 $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Dourados versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $783 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 23% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.