Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Hartsville, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,849 in Hartsville, SC, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Hartsville, SC
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Hartsville, SC Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Hartsville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Hartsville, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,849 in Hartsville, SC.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Hartsville, SC $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,340 in Hartsville, SC.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Hartsville, SC $4,340

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $5,831 in Hartsville, SC.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Hartsville, SC $5,831

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 55% less than in Hartsville, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Hartsville, SC is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$20.14 $20.14

-50.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$133 $133

-69.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$12.07 $12.07

-29.74%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$5.89 $5.89

-59.93%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.99 $2.99

-45.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.29 $2.29

-55.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$6.65 $6.65

-63.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$8.15 $8.15

-54.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.16 $1.16

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$4.05 $4.05

-48.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$4.68 $4.68

-72.44%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$5.38 $5.38

-57.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$23.14 $23.14

-52.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$14.45 $14.45

-70.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$20.42 $20.42

-52.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$8.22 $8.22

-65.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.84 $1.84

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$5.18 $5.18

-69.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$6.79 $6.79

-73.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$4.97 $4.97

-74.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$3.69 $3.69

-71.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.77 $2.77

-72.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$3.35 $3.35

-80.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$10.14 $10.14

-69.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$20.28 $20.28

-59.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.86 $2.86

-58.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.93 $2.93

-18.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.09 $2.09

-51.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.07 $3.07

-58.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.27 $1.27

-29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$32.48 $32.48

-70.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.00 $1.00

33.00%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

-34.01%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$24.9K $24.9K

35.00%

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

$134 R$666

$228 $228

-41.43%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$78.5 $78.5

-84.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$83.4 $83.4

-72.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$47.27 $47.27

-33.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$14.07 $14.07

-41.51%

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

$603 R$3,011

$1,284 $1,284

-53.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$27.4K $27.4K

-51.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$76.9 $76.9

-45.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$47.13 $47.13

5.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$111 $111

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$138 $138

-50.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,570 $1,570

-42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,289 $1,289

-59.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$2,539 $2,539

-46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$2,179 $2,179

-64.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$2,563 $2,563

55.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,181 $2,181

-28.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.51

83.26%

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 Hartsville, SC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Hartsville, SC

$1.3K 45.8% 144% $762

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Hartsville, SC

$536 19.1% 150% $322

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Hartsville, SC

$390 13.9% 132% $221

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Hartsville, SC

$339 12% 107% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Hartsville, SC

$168 6% 58.6% $62

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Hartsville, SC

$18 * 0.6% 70.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Hartsville, SC

$75 2.7% 57% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,570 in Hartsville, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $133 in Hartsville, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $536 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Hartsville, SC

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

7,500

💱 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 11, 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Hartsville, SC 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Hartsville, SC

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 Hartsville, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Hartsville, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro and $4,274 in Hartsville, SC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,570 in Hartsville, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% higher in Hartsville, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,849 in Hartsville, SC – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,849 in Hartsville, SC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Hartsville, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Hartsville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.