Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $355 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $355 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Frederiksted $355

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $745 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Frederiksted $745

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,136 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Frederiksted $1,136

Rio de Janeiro costs about 262% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Frederiksted are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Frederiksted 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.78

$30.02 $30.02

-66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$79.4 $79.4

-49.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.31

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.79

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

$1.63 R$8.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.17

$7.17 $7.17

-65.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.41

$8.04 $8.04

-54.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.71

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.41

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.31

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.48

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.58

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.10

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.16

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.95

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$8.99

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.27

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.19

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.50

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.08

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.64

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

$23.4K R$116.8K

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

$33.6K R$167.4K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$157

$60.8 $60.8

-48.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.03

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

$603 R$3,007

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$374

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,514

$1,343 $1,343

-32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,630

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,712

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,861

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,789

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,206

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Frederiksted: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,343 in Frederiksted. 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $79.0 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

23:37 11:37 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

528

💱 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Frederiksted 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 262%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $532 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro and $355 in Frederiksted. That's a gap of about 262%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $79.0 in Frederiksted. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,285. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Frederiksted – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Frederiksted. 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.