Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Guararema

For one person, living is cheaper in Guararema: $797 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Guararema
Learn more

Guararema Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Guararema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $797 in Guararema.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Guararema $797

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,308 in Guararema.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Guararema $1,308

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,818 in Guararema.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Guararema $1,818

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 60% more expensive than in Guararema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Guararema 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$6.12 R$31.03

53.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$36.21 R$184

10.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$8.91 R$45.16

-6.40%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.28 R$6.49

78.91%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.27 R$6.45

25.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.89 R$4.50

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$2.00 R$10.12

7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$3.24 R$16.44

12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.01 R$5.10

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.47 R$7.44

42.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.38 R$7.01

-9.42%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.58 R$13.08

-12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$10.59 R$53.7

3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$4.98 R$25.26

-12.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$10.52 R$53.3

-8.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$2.27 R$11.50

25.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.70 R$8.63

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.51 R$7.67

4.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.38 R$7.02

32.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.25 R$6.33

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.23 R$6.25

-13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.97 R$4.92

-22.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.79 R$4.02

-13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.55 R$12.94

15.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$7.89 R$40.02

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.55 R$7.83

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.48 R$12.55

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.15 R$5.84

-18.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$20.62 R$105

144.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.16 R$5.86

3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.77 R$3.91

7.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$8.33 R$42.25

7.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.30 R$6.57

-0.77%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$15.4K R$78.0K

48.05%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$23.4K R$118.6K

45.10%

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

$134 R$681

$40.18 R$204

234.30%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$7.83 R$39.69

37.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$15.58 R$79.0

46.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$26.20 R$133

15.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$20.79 R$105

51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$3.95 R$20.03

95.70%

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

$584 R$2,960

$436 R$2,210

33.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$10.7K R$54.1K

20.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$50.5 R$256

-18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$30.99 R$157

58.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$89.1 R$451

-17.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$58.5 R$297

12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$359 R$1,820

150.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$238 R$1,208

121.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$674 R$3,415

97.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$469 R$2,376

59.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,681 R$8,524

137.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,171 R$5,934

33.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$300 R$1,519

113.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

32.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Guararema: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Guararema

$238 29.9% 54.8% $289

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Guararema

$211 26.5% 1% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Guararema

$64 8% 62.1% $104

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Guararema

$116 14.6% 25.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Guararema

$103 12.9% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Guararema

$30 3.8% 49.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Guararema

$34 4.3% 25.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $359 in Guararema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 114% 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 $36.00 in Guararema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $211 per month, with Guararema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Guararema

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

31,236

💱 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

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Rio de Janeiro Guararema 290 km

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Rio de Janeiro
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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 Guararema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guararema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $359 in Guararema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $797 in Guararema – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Guararema runs roughly 144% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $797 in Guararema versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guararema but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Guararema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Guararema is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Guararema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.