Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Escazu

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 Escazu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Escazu $3,999

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 33% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Escazu is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$12.23 ₡5,486

-17.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$62.1 ₡27.9K

-34.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$11.48 ₡5,146

-25.52%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$4.56 ₡2,045

-47.81%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$2.72 ₡1,218

-40.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.85 ₡828

-44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$3.36 ₡1,505

-26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$4.47 ₡2,006

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.32 ₡1,040

-48.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$3.12 ₡1,397

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.49 ₡1,117

-48.59%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$3.59 ₡1,611

-36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$10.61 ₡4,757

1.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$10.22 ₡4,581

-56.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$13.94 ₡6,252

-29.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$5.13 ₡2,301

-45.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.62 ₡726

9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$3.16 ₡1,416

-49.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$3.07 ₡1,378

-41.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$3.79 ₡1,698

-67.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$3.73 ₡1,674

-72.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.04 ₡465

-25.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.70 ₡762

-60.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$5.53 ₡2,479

-45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$18.39 ₡8,249

-56.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.66 ₡745

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.68 ₡1,202

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$1.09 ₡491

-9.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$2.06 ₡923

-40.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.57 ₡704

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$8.76 ₡3,927

2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.48 ₡664

-12.16%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

6.50%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-6.60%

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

$133 R$676

$94.6 ₡42.4K

41.09%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$29.81 ₡13.4K

-63.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-61.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$108 ₡48.6K

-71.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$10.15 ₡4,550

213.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$7.81 ₡3,502

3.07%

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

$598 R$3,029

$457 ₡204.9K

30.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-20.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-40.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$131 ₡58.6K

-43.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$130 ₡58.4K

-47.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$834 ₡373.9K

8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$845 ₡378.8K

-37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,961 ₡879.3K

-32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$1,508 ₡676.4K

-49.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,407 ₡630.8K

185.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$972 ₡435.7K

60.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$1,746 ₡782.8K

-63.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.62

38.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 59.5% $315

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 68% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 10.4% $17

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Escazu

$231 12% 40% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Escazu

$174 9% 65% $69

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 76.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 164% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 173% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $62.0 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $361 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

11,984

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Escazu 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 173% lower in Escazu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,933 in Escazu – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Escazu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.