Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Georgetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,615 in Georgetown, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. The total is higher in Georgetown despite lower rent and utilities.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Georgetown
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Georgetown Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Georgetown

🇬🇾 Guyana

$1,615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,615 in Georgetown, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Georgetown $1,615

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,723 in Georgetown, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Georgetown $2,723

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,831 in Georgetown, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Georgetown $3,831

Rio de Janeiro is about 20% cheaper than Georgetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Georgetown is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$18.27 GYD 3,794

-45.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$70.7 GYD 14.7K

-42.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$9.52 GYD 1,977

-10.92%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$5.78 GYD 1,199

-59.17%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.27 GYD 264

28.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.62 GYD 128

62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$1.86 GYD 386

31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$3.40 GYD 706

8.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$3.20 GYD 665

-64.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.06 GYD 429

0.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$1.98 GYD 410

-34.85%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$4.04 GYD 839

-43.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$15.53 GYD 3,225

-29.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$7.18 GYD 1,492

-39.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$8.80 GYD 1,827

10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$7.83 GYD 1,626

-63.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$3.85 GYD 800

-52.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$4.01 GYD 832

-60.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$7.16 GYD 1,488

-74.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.43 GYD 504

-48.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$3.10 GYD 644

-65.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$3.15 GYD 654

-76.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.60 GYD 331

-58.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$3.31 GYD 686

-7.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$16.54 GYD 3,436

-50.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.78 GYD 369

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.54 GYD 528

-5.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.60 GYD 124

68.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$59.6 GYD 12.4K

-15.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$4.33 GYD 899

-70.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$2.43 GYD 504

-62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$12.09 GYD 2,512

-21.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.07 GYD 223

24.30%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.4K GYD 5.7M

-14.52%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$23.2K GYD 4.8M

44.93%

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

$134 R$666

$122 GYD 25.4K

9.23%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$21.58 GYD 4,482

-43.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$44.48 GYD 9,238

-49.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$38.86 GYD 8,070

-18.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$15.09 GYD 3,134

104.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$6.34 GYD 1,316

29.81%

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

$603 R$3,011

$1,045 GYD 217.0K

-42.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$18.8K GYD 3.9M

-29.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$37.84 GYD 7,858

9.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$41.12 GYD 8,541

21.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$137 GYD 28.5K

-45.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$85.8 GYD 17.8K

-20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$954 GYD 198.1K

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$519 GYD 107.8K

1.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$3,267 GYD 678.6K

-58.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,272 GYD 264.1K

-39.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$3,543 GYD 735.8K

12.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$1,597 GYD 331.6K

-2.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$521 GYD 108.3K

23.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.94

71.90%

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 Georgetown: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Georgetown

$519 31.8% 1.6% $8.5

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Georgetown

$392 24% 82.7% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Georgetown

$188 11.5% 11.8% $20

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Georgetown

$268 16.4% 63.4% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Georgetown

$136 8.3% 28.6% $30

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Georgetown

$78 4.8% 30.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Georgetown

$52 3.2% 7.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $954 in Georgetown. 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 23% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $71.0 in Georgetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $392 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇬🇾 Georgetown

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

310,320 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Guyanese Dollar GYD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD

1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GYD, 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Guyanese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 208 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD). 1 EUR = 233 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Georgetown 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Georgetown

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 Georgetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Georgetown costs about 26% 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 $2,422 in Georgetown. 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.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,045 in Georgetown. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Georgetown at $1,615. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Georgetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 versus $1,615 in Georgetown. 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, Georgetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.