Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias

For one person, living is cheaper in Duque de Caxias: $806 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Duque de Caxias
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Duque de Caxias Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Duque de Caxias

🇧🇷 Brazil

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Duque de Caxias

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 Duque de Caxias actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $806 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Duque de Caxias $806

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,390 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Duque de Caxias $1,390

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,974 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Duque de Caxias $1,974

Rio de Janeiro costs about 58% more than Duque de Caxias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Duque de Caxias 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$7.07 R$35.82

32.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$39.30 R$199

1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$8.26 R$41.90

0.97%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$2.26 R$11.44

1.33%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.52 R$7.70

4.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.04 R$5.26

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$2.17 R$10.99

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$3.58 R$18.16

2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.18 R$5.96

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.06 R$10.46

1.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.14 R$5.76

9.65%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.24 R$11.37

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$9.06 R$45.91

20.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$4.51 R$22.87

-3.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$9.98 R$50.6

-3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$2.83 R$14.37

0.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.76 R$8.94

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.58 R$8.00

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.79 R$9.07

2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.20 R$6.06

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.06 R$5.38

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.76 R$3.85

-1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.64 R$3.25

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.83 R$14.32

3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$8.10 R$41.07

-1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.18 R$5.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.49 R$12.61

-2.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$0.98 R$4.97

-4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$43.44 R$220

15.84%

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

$1.41 R$7.14

-41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$9.23 R$46.81

-2.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.26 R$6.38

2.38%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$23.4K R$118.8K

-2.82%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$34.1K R$172.8K

-0.38%

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

$134 R$681

$42.43 R$215

216.57%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$10.65 R$54.0

0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$18.29 R$92.7

24.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$25.58 R$130

17.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$27.88 R$141

12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$7.91 R$40.12

-2.28%

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

$584 R$2,960

$424 R$2,150

37.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$7,540 R$38.2K

69.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$41.79 R$212

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$49.66 R$252

-0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$95.7 R$485

-23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$85.4 R$433

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$297 R$1,505

203.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$169 R$857

211.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$789 R$4,000

68.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$443 R$2,248

68.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,286 R$6,519

210.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$570 R$2,891

173.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$302 R$1,530

112.16%

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 Duque de Caxias: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Duque de Caxias

$169 21% 67.9% $358

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Duque de Caxias

$209 25.9% 2.2% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Duque de Caxias

$71 8.9% 57.5% $97

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Duque de Caxias

$137 17% 12.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Duque de Caxias

$123 15.2% 18.5% $19

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Duque de Caxias

$56 6.9% 6.3% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Duque de Caxias

$41 5.1% 9.2% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $297 in Duque de Caxias. 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 112% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $39.00 in Duque de Caxias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $209 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Duque de Caxias

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

808,161

💱 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 Duque de Caxias 31 km

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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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 Duque de Caxias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 58% more than Duque de Caxias, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,209 in Duque de Caxias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Duque de Caxias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $39.00 in Duque de Caxias. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Duque de Caxias, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Duque de Caxias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duque de Caxias costs $806 versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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