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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,205 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $790 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,344 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,292 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,898 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 53% more than Duque de Caxias, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Duque de Caxias 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R$43.57

$6.82 R$34.94

24.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R$195

$38.93 R$200

-2.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 R$39.04

$7.57 R$38.81

0.66%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.49

$2.21 R$11.34

1.36%

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

$1.56 R$7.97

$1.49 R$7.66

4.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.32

$0.99 R$5.08

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.63

$2.25 R$11.54

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.94

$3.34 R$17.11

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.68

$1.14 R$5.84

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$10.04

$1.99 R$10.21

-1.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.80

$1.10 R$5.65

20.91%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.37

$2.25 R$11.54

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 R$53.1

$8.88 R$45.50

16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$22.15

$4.23 R$21.68

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 R$48.28

$9.60 R$49.22

-1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.52

$2.70 R$13.83

-2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.83

$1.81 R$9.27

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.80

$1.58 R$8.12

-3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.16

$1.76 R$9.00

1.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.28

$1.22 R$6.26

0.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.30

$0.99 R$5.09

4.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.58

$0.68 R$3.49

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.23

$0.67 R$3.43

-5.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 R$14.90

$2.64 R$13.54

10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$40.16

$7.78 R$39.88

0.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.65

$1.11 R$5.69

-0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.11

$2.52 R$12.89

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.11

$0.91 R$4.68

9.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.98 R$251

$42.81 R$219

14.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.09

$1.22 R$6.27

-2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.49

$1.34 R$6.86

-34.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.98

$8.90 R$45.62

0.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.27 R$6.49

-0.79%

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

$23.3K R$119.7K

$22.8K R$116.6K

2.58%

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

$32.2K R$165.2K

-0.04%

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

$132 R$675

$44.70 R$229

194.59%

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

$10.95 R$56.1

$10.89 R$55.8

0.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 R$112

$18.20 R$93.3

20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 R$146

$25.43 R$130

12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 R$155

$26.97 R$138

12.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.99

$7.68 R$39.35

1.56%

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

$538 R$2,757

$417 R$2,139

28.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$65.6K

$7,525 R$38.6K

70.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.62 R$208

$40.16 R$206

1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$238

$46.75 R$240

-0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 R$357

$92.8 R$476

-24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 R$331

$81.0 R$415

-20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R$4,243

$287 R$1,473

188.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,396

$165 R$846

183.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,476

$756 R$3,877

67.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R$3,705

$441 R$2,261

63.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 R$20.7K

$1,235 R$6,327

227.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R$7,745

$553 R$2,832

173.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,142

$294 R$1,506

108.67%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Duque de Caxias: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $828 in Rio de Janeiro versus $287 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 109% 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 $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $39.00 in Duque de Caxias. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Rio de Janeiro vs $203 in Duque de Caxias – so Duque de Caxias wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 53% more than Duque de Caxias, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,807 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,184 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 $38.00 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 $790, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,205. 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 $790 versus $1,205 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.