Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayaquil: $1,140 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,140 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Guayaquil $1,140

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,766 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Guayaquil $1,766

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,392 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Guayaquil $2,392

Rio de Janeiro costs about 13% more than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Guayaquil are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Guayaquil 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$3.90 $3.90

155.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$52.0 $52.0

-22.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$9.25 $9.25

-8.32%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$2.80 $2.80

-15.71%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$0.87 $0.87

87.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.71 $0.71

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$3.07 $3.07

-20.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$4.20 $4.20

-12.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.16 $1.16

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$1.98 $1.98

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$1.43 $1.43

-9.79%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$2.04 $2.04

11.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$7.09 $7.09

55.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$5.09 $5.09

-15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$8.98 $8.98

8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$1.46 $1.46

93.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.19 $1.19

54.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$0.98 $0.98

63.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$0.96 $0.96

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$1.24 $1.24

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$0.93 $0.93

15.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$0.83 $0.83

-9.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.03 $1.03

-35.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$5.86 $5.86

-47.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$11.93 $11.93

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.49 $1.49

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.22 $2.22

7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.33 $0.33

206.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$19.95 $19.95

151.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.70 $2.70

-52.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.74 $1.74

-48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$12.08 $12.08

-21.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$0.89 $0.89

49.44%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$20.9K $20.9K

12.24%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$30.9K $30.9K

8.50%

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

$134 R$666

$127 $127

5.14%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$15.01 $15.01

-18.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$25.75 $25.75

-12.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$46.73 $46.73

-32.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$26.66 $26.66

15.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$7.57 $7.57

8.72%

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

$603 R$3,011

$403 $403

49.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$6,002 $6,002

120.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$64.6 $64.6

-35.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$40.19 $40.19

24.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$125 $125

-39.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$93.6 $93.6

-27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$477 $477

89.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$390 $390

35.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$795 $795

69.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$739 $739

4.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$2,298 $2,298

73.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$1,445 $1,445

8.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$626 $626

2.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.05

18.71%

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 Guayaquil: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Guayaquil

$390 34.8% 26% $137

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Guayaquil

$199 17.8% 7.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Guayaquil

$168 15% 0.4% $0.7

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Guayaquil

$123 11% 25.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Guayaquil

$146 13% 37.7% $40

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Guayaquil

$33 2.9% 45.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Guayaquil

$62 5.5% 28.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $477 in Guayaquil. 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 3% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $52.0 in Guayaquil. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $199 in Guayaquil – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

3,500,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 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 Guayaquil 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Guayaquil

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 Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,710 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $403 in Guayaquil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guayaquil, where all-in costs run around $1,140, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,285. In Guayaquil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Guayaquil. 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.