Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Rio de Janeiro is 5.3% more expensive than Fortaleza without rent, and 16.3% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Rio de Janeiro is 2.2% more expensive than Fortaleza without rent, and 15.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.1 R$39.4
$5.29 R$29.38
34.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.72 R$198
$33.85 R$188
5.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.47 R$35.9
$6.88 R$38.18
-5.96%
Cappuccino
$1.98 R$10.97
$2.13 R$11.85
-7.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 R$7.28
$1.1 R$6.12
19.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.9 R$4.97
$0.63 R$3.48
42.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.82 R$10.08
$1.96 R$10.86
-7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 R$15.11
$3.7 R$20.55
-26.49%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 R$6.19
$1.13 R$6.28
-0.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 R$9.48
$1.89 R$10.47
-9.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 R$7.82
$1.13 R$6.25
24.78%
Eggs
$2.04 R$11.32
$1.8 R$10
13.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.84 R$43.53
$6.99 R$38.81
12.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.63 R$20.17
$3.31 R$18.37
9.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.25 R$45.78
$7.87 R$43.71
4.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 R$13.25
$2.53 R$14.06
-5.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 R$8.58
$1.19 R$6.63
30.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.47 R$8.15
$0.79 R$4.36
86.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 R$8.43
$1.46 R$8.09
4.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 R$7.17
$1.3 R$7.23
-0.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.45
$1.05 R$5.83
10.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 R$3.5
$0.96 R$5.33
-34.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 R$3.41
$0.78 R$4.31
-21.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.95 R$10.8
$2.16 R$11.97
-9.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.34 R$40.77
$6.35 R$35.25
15.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 R$7
$1.34 R$7.45
-5.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.1 R$11.67
$1.55 R$8.59
35.48%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.3 R$7.2
$0.84 R$4.67
54.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.57 R$214
$30.51 R$169
26.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 R$6.28
$1.05 R$5.84
7.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 R$3.85
$0.75 R$4.15
-8.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.8 R$43.29
$6.04 R$33.5
29.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 R$5.87
$1.09 R$6.05
-2.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K R$113.5K
$20.4K R$113.3K
0.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K R$153.4K
$27.7K R$153.8K
-0.27%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 R$574
$109 R$605
-5.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.89 R$66
$15.68 R$87
-24.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.63 R$103
$18.07 R$100
3.10%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.89 R$144
$22.42 R$124
15.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.74 R$132
$42.68 R$237
-44.38%
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 R$36.47
$6.35 R$35.27
3.46%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$540 R$2,995
$228 R$1,263
137.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K R$65.3K
$2,176 R$12.1K
440.74%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.33 R$252
$48.64 R$270
-6.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.71 R$231
$44.27 R$246
-5.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.9 R$415
$90.1 R$500
-16.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.1 R$334
$57.3 R$318
4.96%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$446 R$2,475
$314 R$1,744
41.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$333 R$1,846
$197 R$1,091
69.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$861 R$4,780
$370 R$2,055
132.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$573 R$3,182
$347 R$1,927
65.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,021 R$11.2K
$1,397 R$7,756
44.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,183 R$6,568
$781 R$4,335
51.49%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Fortaleza
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$452 R$2,509
$348 R$1,933
29.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.33
11.79
-3.90%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 29, 2025

Last update for Fortaleza: October 29, 2025

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