Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,003 in Gatineau, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
Learn more

Gatineau Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,003 in Gatineau, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Gatineau $2,003

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,048 in Gatineau, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Gatineau $3,048

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,093 in Gatineau, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Gatineau $4,093

Rio de Janeiro is about 36% cheaper than Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Gatineau is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$12.79 CA$18.24

-21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$83.7 CA$119

-51.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$10.56 CA$15.06

-19.70%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.18 CA$4.53

-25.79%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.34 CA$1.91

21.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.30 CA$1.85

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$4.29 CA$6.12

-43.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$6.28 CA$8.95

-41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.89 CA$2.70

-39.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.97 CA$4.23

-30.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$5.25 CA$7.49

-75.43%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.18 CA$4.53

-28.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$11.46 CA$16.33

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$9.63 CA$13.73

-55.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$10.85 CA$15.47

-10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$3.99 CA$5.69

-29.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.84 CA$2.63

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$4.67 CA$6.66

-65.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$4.57 CA$6.51

-60.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.17 CA$3.09

-41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.48 CA$3.53

-56.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.11 CA$3.01

-64.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$2.71 CA$3.87

-75.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$11.99 CA$17.09

-74.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$12.36 CA$17.61

-33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.84 CA$4.05

-58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.30 CA$4.70

-27.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$3.15 CA$4.49

-67.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$78.1 CA$111

-35.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$4.82 CA$6.87

-73.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$2.24 CA$3.19

-59.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$31.68 CA$45.16

-70.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.25 CA$1.78

6.40%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.3K CA$38.9K

-14.11%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$18.3K CA$26.1K

83.28%

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

$134 R$666

$113 CA$161

18.41%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$36.42 CA$51.9

-66.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$48.35 CA$68.9

-53.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$45.79 CA$65.3

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$28.95 CA$41.26

6.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$10.72 CA$15.28

-23.23%

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

$603 R$3,011

$538 CA$767

12.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$135.9K CA$193.7K

-90.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$69.2 CA$98.7

-39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$42.94 CA$61.2

16.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$86.4 CA$123

-13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$116 CA$166

-41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,090 CA$1,554

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$949 CA$1,352

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$1,789 CA$2,550

-24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,476 CA$2,103

-47.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$5,125 CA$7,306

-22.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$6,057 CA$8,634

-74.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$2,559 CA$3,648

-74.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.64

157.11%

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 Gatineau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Gatineau

$949 46.4% 79.9% $421

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Gatineau

$368 18% 71.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Gatineau

$198 9.7% 17.3% $29

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Gatineau

$217 10.6% 32.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Gatineau

$142 6.9% 34.1% $36

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Gatineau

$107 5.2% 77.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Gatineau

$67 3.3% 40% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,090 in Gatineau. 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 298% higher in Gatineau, 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 $84.0 in Gatineau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $368 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

10:57 10:57 AM

09:57 9:57 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

291,041

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Gatineau 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Gatineau

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 Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau costs about 56% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,004 in Gatineau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $2,003 in Gatineau. That's a gap of about 56%.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Gatineau at $2,003. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gatineau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 versus $2,003 in Gatineau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gatineau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.