Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Fort Myers, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $3,047 in Fort Myers, FL, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Fort Myers, FL
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Fort Myers, FL Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Fort Myers, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Fort Myers, FL

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 Fort Myers, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,047 in Fort Myers, FL.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Fort Myers, FL $3,047

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,385 in Fort Myers, FL.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Fort Myers, FL $4,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $5,723 in Fort Myers, FL.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Fort Myers, FL $5,723

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 58% less than in Fort Myers, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Fort Myers, FL is 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.69

$25.24 $25.24

-60.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$80.0 $80.0

-49.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.23

$12.63 $12.63

-32.86%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.77

$4.49 $4.49

-47.44%

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

$1.63 R$8.11

$2.82 $2.82

-42.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.05

$1.96 $1.96

-48.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.15

$4.91 $4.91

-50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.38

$5.84 $5.84

-36.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.70

$1.07 $1.07

7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.31

$4.60 $4.60

-55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.40

$4.98 $4.98

-74.10%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.29

$4.08 $4.08

-44.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.7

$9.83 $9.83

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.44

$10.40 $10.40

-58.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.49

$19.96 $19.96

-51.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.07

$5.90 $5.90

-52.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.14

$1.43 $1.43

28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.94

$4.35 $4.35

-63.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$8.97

$5.32 $5.32

-66.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.26

$2.91 $2.91

-56.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.32

$3.86 $3.86

-72.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.74

$2.77 $2.77

-72.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.28

$1.81 $1.81

-63.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.16

$9.09 $9.09

-66.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.72

$17.30 $17.30

-52.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.90

$2.67 $2.67

-55.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.88

$2.12 $2.12

12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.04

$1.96 $1.96

-48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$39.64 $39.64

26.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.31

$3.91 $3.91

-67.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.50

$1.92 $1.92

-53.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$46.99

$24.10 $24.10

-60.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.63

$1.00 $1.00

33.00%

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

$23.4K R$116.6K

$32.6K $32.6K

-28.20%

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

$33.6K R$167.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

29.71%

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

$134 R$664

$186 $186

-28.40%

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

$12.23 R$60.9

$63.6 $63.6

-80.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$81.3 $81.3

-72.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$157

$45.61 $45.61

-30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$20.16 $20.16

53.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$40.95

$17.72 $17.72

-53.56%

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

$603 R$3,002

$1,881 $1,881

-67.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$65.9K

$42.2K $42.2K

-68.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$207

$46.23 $46.23

-9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$42.20 $42.20

18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$373

$89.7 $89.7

-16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$340

$99.6 $99.6

-31.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,506

$1,805 $1,805

-49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,625

$1,640 $1,640

-67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,700

$2,924 $2,924

-53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,854

$2,725 $2,725

-71.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.8K

$2,693 $2,693

47.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,775

$2,691 $2,691

-41.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,200

$3,747 $3,747

-82.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.63

79.94%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Fort Myers, FL: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Fort Myers, FL

$1.6K 54.6% 211% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Fort Myers, FL

$418 13.9% 94.7% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Fort Myers, FL

$331 11% 96.8% $163

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Fort Myers, FL

$349 11.6% 113% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Fort Myers, FL

$125 4.2% 18.2% $19

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Fort Myers, FL

$61 2% 1.6% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Fort Myers, FL

$81 2.7% 68.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,805 in Fort Myers, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Myers, FL pays 483% 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 $80.0 in Fort Myers, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $418 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Fort Myers, FL

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

23:16 11:16 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

68,190

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Fort Myers, FL 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Fort Myers, FL

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 Fort Myers, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 483% lower in Fort Myers, FL. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,805 in Fort Myers, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Fort Myers, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $80.0 in Fort Myers, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,047 in Fort Myers, FL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Fort Myers, FL. 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 Fort Myers, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Fort Myers, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.