Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,237 in Hamilton.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Hamilton $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,267 in Hamilton.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Hamilton $3,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,297 in Hamilton.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Hamilton $4,297

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 43% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Hamilton is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$17.65 CA$25.16

-43.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$60.7 CA$86.5

-33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$11.96 CA$17.05

-29.10%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.48 CA$4.96

-32.18%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.15 CA$3.06

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.64 CA$2.34

-38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$4.87 CA$6.95

-49.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$6.13 CA$8.74

-39.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$2.17 CA$3.09

-47.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.23 CA$3.17

-7.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$2.54 CA$3.62

-49.21%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.20 CA$4.55

-29.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$7.91 CA$11.27

39.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$10.76 CA$15.34

-59.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$13.64 CA$19.44

-28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$3.82 CA$5.45

-25.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.21 CA$1.73

52.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$4.04 CA$5.76

-60.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$3.80 CA$5.42

-52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.33 CA$3.32

-45.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$1.58 CA$2.25

-32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.17 CA$3.09

-65.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.30 CA$1.85

-49.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$12.33 CA$17.58

-75.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$13.26 CA$18.90

-38.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.45 CA$3.49

-51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.37 CA$4.81

-29.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.49 CA$3.55

-59.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$85.6 CA$122

-41.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.40 CA$4.85

-62.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.23 CA$1.75

-26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$23.37 CA$33.32

-59.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.19 CA$1.70

11.76%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.5K CA$39.2K

-14.88%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

68.86%

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

$134 R$666

$149 CA$212

-10.43%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$41.14 CA$58.7

-70.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$49.32 CA$70.3

-54.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$37.18 CA$53.0

-15.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$17.33 CA$24.71

78.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$10.19 CA$14.52

-19.23%

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

$603 R$3,011

$597 CA$852

0.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$16.2K CA$23.1K

-18.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$48.29 CA$68.8

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$30.75 CA$43.83

62.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$86.2 CA$123

-12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$115 CA$163

-40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,263 CA$1,801

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,135 CA$1,617

-53.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$2,006 CA$2,859

-32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,869 CA$2,664

-58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$2,659 CA$3,790

49.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,694 CA$3,840

-42.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$2,896 CA$4,128

-77.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.6

159.35%

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 Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2% 115% $607

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Hamilton

$327 14.5% 52.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Hamilton

$240 10.6% 42.2% $71

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Hamilton

$271 12% 65.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Hamilton

$126 5.6% 19.1% $20

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Hamilton

$105 4.7% 75.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Hamilton

$58 2.6% 19.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 350% 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 $61.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $327 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

519,949

💱 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

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Hamilton 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 350% lower in Hamilton. 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 $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $603 in Rio de Janeiro versus $597 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.