Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu

For one person, living is cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu: $910 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Foz do Iguaçu
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Foz do Iguaçu Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Foz do Iguaçu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $910 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Foz do Iguaçu $910

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,390 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Foz do Iguaçu $1,390

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,870 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Foz do Iguaçu $1,870

Rio de Janeiro costs about 42% more than Foz do Iguaçu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Foz do Iguaçu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$6.08 R$30.80

65.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$40.68 R$206

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$7.11 R$36.04

20.25%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$1.90 R$9.65

25.26%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.38 R$6.98

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.58 R$2.94

77.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.64 R$8.32

50.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$2.99 R$15.15

23.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.95 R$4.81

25.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.51 R$7.64

35.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.70 R$8.62

-24.71%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.69 R$13.66

-14.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$8.04 R$40.74

33.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$4.11 R$20.85

7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$8.43 R$42.72

16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$2.15 R$10.90

30.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.19 R$6.02

49.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$0.97 R$4.92

64.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.17 R$5.91

53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.97 R$4.94

25.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.09 R$5.51

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.88 R$4.47

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.88 R$4.47

-23.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$2.95 R$14.94

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$8.03 R$40.72

0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.89 R$9.56

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.99 R$15.18

-16.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.97 R$4.92

2.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$52.4 R$266

-4.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.02 R$5.16

19.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.44 R$7.28

-36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.24 R$6.30

4.84%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$20.3K R$103.1K

17.37%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

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

$133 R$676

$72.2 R$366

84.84%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$19.15 R$97.1

-43.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$20.40 R$103

12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$19.97 R$101

54.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$5.98 R$30.33

432.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$9.29 R$47.09

-13.35%

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

$598 R$3,029

$242 R$1,227

146.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$47.64 R$242

-11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$17.75 R$90.0

179.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$50.3 R$255

48.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$39.21 R$199

75.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$377 R$1,912

139.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$320 R$1,622

65.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$711 R$3,603

86.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$508 R$2,573

48.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,279 R$6,485

213.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$897 R$4,547

73.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$397 R$2,015

60.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.16

46.20%

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 Foz do Iguaçu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Foz do Iguaçu

$320 35.2% 39.6% $210

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Foz do Iguaçu

$190 20.9% 11.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Foz do Iguaçu

$112 12.3% 33.1% $55

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Foz do Iguaçu

$115 12.6% 30.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Foz do Iguaçu

$70 7.7% 34.1% $36

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Foz do Iguaçu

$64 7.1% 7.7% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Foz do Iguaçu

$39 4.2% 17.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $377 in Foz do Iguaçu. 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 61% 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $41.00 in Foz do Iguaçu. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $190 in Foz do Iguaçu – so Foz do Iguaçu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

285,415

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Foz do Iguaçu 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, $910 in Foz do Iguaçu – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,364 in Foz do Iguaçu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $242 in Foz do Iguaçu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $910 in Foz do Iguaçu to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Foz do Iguaçu. 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.