Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Hefei Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Hefei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Rio de Janeiro versus $739 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,472 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,183 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,000 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,628 in Hefei.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 28% more expensive than in Hefei, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Hefei 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 R$37.42

$3.52 ¥23.81

108.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.43 R$180

$16.46 ¥111

115.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 R$32.00

$4.21 ¥28.46

49.17%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.68

$2.29 ¥15.48

-17.03%

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

$1.29 R$6.55

$0.47 ¥3.15

174.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.64

$0.23 ¥1.55

295.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.91

$0.80 ¥5.42

118.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.92

$2.06 ¥13.93

32.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.75

$1.59 ¥10.77

-28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.70

$1.59 ¥10.75

7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.26

$1.16 ¥7.81

23.28%

Eggs

$2.04 R$10.38

$1.84 ¥12.46

10.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 R$39.43

$8.40 ¥56.7

-7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 R$17.75

$4.22 ¥28.50

-17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 R$40.77

$9.94 ¥67.2

-19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$11.72

$1.80 ¥12.16

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$8.01

$0.87 ¥5.89

80.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.70

$1.21 ¥8.15

24.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.87

$0.84 ¥5.69

84.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.34

$0.64 ¥4.30

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.68

$0.45 ¥3.07

148.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.49 ¥3.32

30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.89

$0.55 ¥3.72

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 R$10.18

$2.81 ¥18.96

-28.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.33

$9.42 ¥63.7

-15.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.41

$0.67 ¥4.56

88.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.43

$1.63 ¥11.01

25.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 R$6.56

$0.34 ¥2.29

279.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.50 R$201

$42.13 ¥285

-6.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.30 ¥8.78

-17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 R$3.38

$0.28 ¥1.91

135.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 R$37.64

$2.50 ¥16.89

195.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.64

$1.19 ¥8.07

-6.72%

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

$20.7K R$105.3K

$19.0K ¥128.4K

8.84%

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

$27.5K R$140.1K

$19.2K ¥129.9K

43.15%

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

$103 R$524

$42.35 ¥286

143.12%

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

$11.99 R$61.0

$13.07 ¥88.3

-8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.51 R$94.2

$13.85 ¥93.6

33.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 R$133

$82.3 ¥556

-68.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.43 R$124

$12.15 ¥82.1

101.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 R$32.27

$6.06 ¥40.98

4.62%

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

$554 R$2,820

$256 ¥1,728

116.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.0K

$9,030 ¥61.0K

30.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.24 R$230

$57.0 ¥385

-20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.69 R$212

$30.43 ¥206

37.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$389

$61.5 ¥415

24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$315

$72.1 ¥487

-14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R$2,260

$230 ¥1,556

92.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 R$1,657

$180 ¥1,218

80.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 R$4,311

$481 ¥3,252

75.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 R$2,941

$359 ¥2,427

60.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,657 R$18.6K

$3,584 ¥24.2K

2.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 R$7,509

$1,955 ¥13.2K

-24.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 R$3,023

$998 ¥6,741

-40.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

4.37

159.27%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hefei: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Rio de Janeiro and $230 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $16.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $180 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Hefei. 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: $444 in Rio de Janeiro versus $230 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $35.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $945 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $739 in Hefei – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Hefei gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hefei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hefei hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.