Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $4,862 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $42,900 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
237

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

George Town

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands

$4,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in George Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,862 in George Town.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
George Town $4,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $7,338 in George Town.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
George Town $7,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $9,814 in George Town.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
George Town $9,814

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 74% less than in George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, George Town is 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$30.59 KYD 25.09

-67.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$116 KYD 94.7

-65.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$16.82 KYD 13.79

-49.58%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$7.14 KYD 5.86

-66.95%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$3.06 KYD 2.51

-46.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.84 KYD 2.33

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$7.11 KYD 5.83

-65.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$9.74 KYD 7.99

-62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$4.70 KYD 3.85

-75.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$4.13 KYD 3.38

-49.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$4.41 KYD 3.62

-70.75%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$7.21 KYD 5.91

-68.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$56.9 KYD 46.64

-80.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$19.04 KYD 15.62

-77.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$19.67 KYD 16.13

-50.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$7.55 KYD 6.19

-62.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$3.63 KYD 2.98

-49.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$6.19 KYD 5.07

-74.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$7.91 KYD 6.49

-77.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$4.12 KYD 3.38

-69.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$4.07 KYD 3.34

-73.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$3.19 KYD 2.62

-76.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$2.26 KYD 1.86

-70.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$14.16 KYD 11.61

-78.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$25.66 KYD 21.04

-68.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$4.29 KYD 3.52

-72.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$5.45 KYD 4.47

-56.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.38 KYD 1.95

-57.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$79.8 KYD 65.5

-37.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$19.15 KYD 15.70

-93.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$3.74 KYD 3.07

-75.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$44.62 KYD 36.59

-78.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.58 KYD 1.30

-15.82%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$42.1K KYD 34.6K

-44.39%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$42.0K KYD 34.4K

-20.06%

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

$134 R$666

$450 KYD 369

-70.31%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$120 KYD 98.2

-89.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$113 KYD 92.6

-79.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$217 KYD 178

-85.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$34.74 KYD 28.48

-11.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$18.64 KYD 15.28

-55.85%

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

$603 R$3,011

$1,818 KYD 1,490

-66.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$26.5K KYD 21.7K

-50.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$87.0 KYD 71.3

-52.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$74.1 KYD 60.8

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$137 KYD 113

-45.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$146 KYD 119

-53.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$2,861 KYD 2,346

-68.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$2,479 KYD 2,033

-78.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$5,698 KYD 4,672

-76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$4,775 KYD 3,915

-83.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$8,919 KYD 7,314

-55.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,270 KYD 1,861

-31.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$7,223 KYD 5,923

-91.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

49.13%

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 George Town: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

George Town

$2.5K 50.3% 370% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

George Town

$727 14.8% 239% $513

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

George Town

$682 13.8% 305% $514

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

George Town

$460 9.3% 181% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

George Town

$200 4.1% 89% $94

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

George Town

$127 2.6% 112% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

George Town

$254 5.2% 429% $206

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,861 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 1023% 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 $116 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $727 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇰🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

28,089 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Cayman Islands Dollar KYD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 KYD = 1.22 USD

1 KYD = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KYD, 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).

Cayman Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.82 KYD (1 KYD = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.919 KYD (1 KYD = 1.09 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro George Town 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and George Town differ by about 278% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $4,862 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1023% lower in George Town. 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 $2,861 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,862 in George Town – a 278% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 59% less than in George Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,862 in George Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in George Town. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and George Town are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.