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 $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $801 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,288 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,997 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,774 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 20% 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 28% lower, Duque de Caxias 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$6.19 R$31.89

16.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$30.77 R$158

15.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.51 R$33.54

-1.08%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.80 R$9.30

9.44%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.33 R$6.87

-4.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.85 R$4.37

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.83 R$9.44

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.32 R$11.97

15.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$1.08 R$5.57

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.45 R$7.47

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.31 R$6.76

7.63%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$1.80 R$9.27

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$8.16 R$42.03

-1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.67 R$18.93

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.48 R$38.51

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.26 R$11.66

6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.48 R$7.61

6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.41 R$7.28

5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.54 R$7.94

1.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.29 R$6.65

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.02 R$5.26

7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.59 R$3.03

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.65 R$3.33

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.78 R$14.30

-29.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$9.08 R$46.76

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.20 R$6.20

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.68 R$13.83

-19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.93 R$4.77

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.29 R$197

2.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$0.87 R$4.47

27.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.69 R$3.57

2.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$7.44 R$38.33

-0.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.06 R$5.46

0.94%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$13.4K R$68.9K

52.23%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$17.4K R$89.8K

55.50%

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

$104 R$535

$47.26 R$243

119.66%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$15.24 R$78.5

-20.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$18.74 R$96.6

-0.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.36 R$115

14.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.53 R$111

13.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$5.25 R$27.02

25.71%

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

$542 R$2,791

$320 R$1,649

69.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,960 R$35.9K

69.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$56.3 R$290

-21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$34.88 R$180

20.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$84.7 R$436

-9.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$72.7 R$375

-14.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$313 R$1,611

40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$217 R$1,115

52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$581 R$2,992

44.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$428 R$2,203

33.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,588 R$8,181

111.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,176 R$6,059

18.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

$297 R$1,527

84.82%

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 Duque de Caxias: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $313 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 85% 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 $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $31.00 in Duque de Caxias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $182 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 20% 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 $1,440 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,201 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 3% 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 $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $31.00 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 $801, than in Rio de Janeiro at $960. 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 $801 versus $960 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.