Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Embu das Artes

For one person, living is cheaper in Embu das Artes: $818 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Embu das Artes, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,182
/mo nomad
Embu das Artes
🇧🇷 Brazil
$818
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Embu das Artes

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 Embu das Artes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $818 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,182
  • Embu das Artes $818

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,369 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,750
  • Embu das Artes $1,369

A family of three spends $2,318 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,921 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,318
  • Embu das Artes $1,921

Rio de Janeiro costs about 45% more than Embu das Artes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Embu das Artes are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Embu das Artes 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.08 R$48.54
$6.67 R$35.66
36.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.25 R$199
$36.97 R$198
0.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.02 R$42.87
$8.21 R$43.92
-2.31%
Cappuccino
$2.19 R$11.71
$2.10 R$11.20
4.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 R$7.82
$1.34 R$7.14
8.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 R$5.27
$0.78 R$4.19
26.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.03 R$10.84
$2.54 R$13.60
-20.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 R$18.43
$4.11 R$21.99
-16.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 R$5.66
$1.11 R$5.94
-4.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.98 R$10.61
$1.78 R$9.50
11.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 R$6.27
$1.07 R$5.70
9.35%
Eggs
$2.21 R$11.80
$2.52 R$13.45
-12.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.11 R$54.1
$8.55 R$45.69
18.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.12 R$22.00
$4.11 R$21.98
0.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.17 R$49.04
$10.14 R$54.2
-9.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 R$14.54
$2.63 R$14.06
3.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 R$9.15
$1.75 R$9.35
-2.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.53 R$8.18
$1.46 R$7.81
4.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 R$8.89
$1.71 R$9.12
-2.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 R$6.09
$1.29 R$6.89
-11.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 R$5.32
$1.21 R$6.48
-18.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 R$3.46
$0.84 R$4.50
-22.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 R$3.20
$0.73 R$3.91
-17.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.79 R$14.94
$2.67 R$14.30
4.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 R$39.99
$8.59 R$45.95
-12.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 R$5.83
$1.54 R$8.21
-29.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 R$12.48
$2.37 R$12.66
-1.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.90 R$4.79
$0.92 R$4.92
-2.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.0 R$283
$40.65 R$217
30.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 R$6.24
$1.19 R$6.36
-1.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 R$4.17
$0.90 R$4.80
-13.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 R$44.75
$8.96 R$47.91
-6.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 R$6.48
$1.19 R$6.34
1.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K R$114.8K
$22.1K R$118.0K
-2.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K R$166.5K
$32.0K R$170.9K
-2.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 R$665
$40.23 R$215
209.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.03 R$53.7
$13.36 R$71.4
-24.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.88 R$112
$17.29 R$92.4
20.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.35 R$152
$20.87 R$112
35.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.33 R$157
$27.47 R$147
6.77%
Cinema Ticket
$7.62 R$40.72
$7.40 R$39.55
2.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$563 R$3,010
$410 R$2,194
37.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K R$64.4K
$7,047 R$37.7K
70.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.25 R$210
$51.0 R$273
-23.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.36 R$248
$54.2 R$290
-14.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.4 R$366
$90.6 R$484
-24.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.4 R$339
$78.7 R$421
-19.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$776 R$4,150
$343 R$1,835
126.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$473 R$2,530
$199 R$1,066
137.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,391 R$7,437
$632 R$3,378
120.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 R$3,951
$440 R$2,351
68.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,393 R$18.1K
$1,796 R$9,605
88.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R$8,396
$1,168 R$6,244
34.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Embu das Artes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$597 R$3,192
-
-
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 25, 2026

Last update for Embu das Artes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$473
Embu das Artes
$199 57.9% $274
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$201
Embu das Artes
$206 2.5% $4.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$155
Embu das Artes
$71 54.4% $84
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$150
Embu das Artes
$133 11.5% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$98
Embu das Artes
$123 26.2% $26
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$62
Embu das Artes
$50 18.9% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$44
Embu das Artes
$36 18.2% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $343 in Embu das Artes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $37 in Embu das Artes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $206 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Embu das Artes
🕒 Local time
11:10 11:10 AM
11:10 11:10 AM
Same time as Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
250,691
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Embu das Artes 380 km
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Embu das Artes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rio de Janeiro and in Embu das Artes compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, $818 in Embu das Artes – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Rio de Janeiro compared to Embu das Artes?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,227 in Embu das Artes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Rio de Janeiro and Embu das Artes?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Embu das Artes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rio de Janeiro and Embu das Artes?
Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $410 in Embu das Artes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rio de Janeiro or Embu das Artes?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $818 in Embu das Artes. That’s a gap of about 45%.
Where should families live: Rio de Janeiro or Embu das Artes?
Families tend to lean toward Embu das Artes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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