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 $948 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $793 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,285 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,777 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 29% lower, Duque de Caxias 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 R$34.96

$6.15 R$30.55

14.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.46 R$176

$30.54 R$152

16.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$30.78

$6.79 R$33.74

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R$9.92

$1.89 R$9.40

5.82%

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

$1.29 R$6.41

$1.35 R$6.69

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.46

$0.82 R$4.10

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.75

$1.78 R$8.86

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.09

$2.35 R$11.70

11.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.62

$1.10 R$5.45

2.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$8.40

$1.45 R$7.21

16.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.04

$1.29 R$6.42

10.08%

Eggs

$1.92 R$9.55

$1.88 R$9.32

2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R$38.73

$8.19 R$40.70

-4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.05

$3.57 R$17.74

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 R$39.72

$7.58 R$37.68

5.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 R$11.60

$2.23 R$11.08

4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.53 R$7.62

4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.25

$1.43 R$7.10

2.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.80

$1.60 R$7.97

-1.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.19

$1.23 R$6.10

1.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.76

$0.97 R$4.82

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.44

$0.62 R$3.07

11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.07

$0.64 R$3.19

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.77

$2.76 R$13.70

-28.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 R$39.28

$8.10 R$40.25

-2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.23 R$6.12

3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.52

$2.69 R$13.35

-21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 R$6.38

$0.94 R$4.68

36.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 R$191

$38.81 R$193

-1.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.54

$0.93 R$4.63

19.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.54

$0.66 R$3.27

7.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$38.70

$7.30 R$36.28

6.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.05 R$5.24

0.95%

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

$20.9K R$104.0K

$13.4K R$66.8K

55.79%

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

$27.9K R$138.6K

$17.6K R$87.3K

58.73%

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

$103 R$513

$46.21 R$230

123.50%

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

$12.22 R$60.7

$15.05 R$74.8

-18.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.82 R$93.5

$18.57 R$92.3

1.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 R$127

$22.17 R$110

15.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 R$120

$21.46 R$107

12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 R$31.72

$5.31 R$26.40

20.15%

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

$551 R$2,738

$311 R$1,546

77.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$58.1K

$6,940 R$34.5K

68.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.89 R$228

$56.8 R$282

-19.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.16 R$205

$35.34 R$176

16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$380

$87.1 R$433

-12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$302

$70.7 R$352

-14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,154

$321 R$1,596

34.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R$1,669

$216 R$1,072

55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 R$4,237

$586 R$2,912

45.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 R$2,926

$421 R$2,093

39.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 R$14.5K

$1,680 R$8,352

74.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 R$6,668

$1,211 R$6,019

10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 R$2,708

$297 R$1,475

83.52%

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 Duque de Caxias: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Rio de Janeiro versus $321 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 84% 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 $35 in Rio de Janeiro versus $31 in Duque de Caxias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $181 – 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 $1,422 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,189 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 $35.00 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $948 in Rio de Janeiro and $793 in Duque de Caxias, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duque de Caxias costs $793 versus $948 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.