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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro versus $817 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,748 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,296 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,775 in Imbituba.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 47% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R$43.56

$4.69 R$24.06

81.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R$195

$29.41 R$151

29.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 R$39.03

$6.81 R$34.89

11.89%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.48

$1.93 R$9.89

16.06%

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

$1.56 R$7.97

$1.09 R$5.58

43.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.32

$0.46 R$2.34

126.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.63

$2.37 R$12.13

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.93

$2.27 R$11.64

45.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.67

$0.92 R$4.70

20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$10.03

$1.13 R$5.80

73.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.80

$0.83 R$4.26

60.24%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.37

$2.21 R$11.33

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 R$53.0

$7.86 R$40.28

31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$22.15

$3.18 R$16.27

35.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 R$48.27

$6.67 R$34.17

41.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.52

$1.51 R$7.73

74.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.83

$0.80 R$4.10

115.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.79

$1.13 R$5.81

34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.15

$0.80 R$4.12

123.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.28

$0.78 R$4.01

57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.30

$1.23 R$6.31

-16.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.58

$1.42 R$7.27

-50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.23

$0.93 R$4.76

-32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 R$14.89

$3.17 R$16.25

-8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$40.15

$9.03 R$46.29

-13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.65

$1.12 R$5.76

-1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.10

$3.08 R$15.80

-16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.11

$0.84 R$4.28

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.98 R$251

$45.16 R$231

8.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.09

$1.97 R$10.11

-39.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.49

$1.56 R$7.98

-43.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.97

$9.80 R$50.2

-8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.22 R$6.23

3.28%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$23.8K R$121.9K

-1.89%

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

$32.2K R$165.1K

$31.6K R$161.8K

2.08%

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

$132 R$675

$57.6 R$295

128.49%

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

$10.95 R$56.1

$10.84 R$55.6

1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 R$112

$20.43 R$105

7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 R$146

$25.33 R$130

12.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 R$155

$24.86 R$127

21.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.98

$8.41 R$43.11

-7.25%

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

$538 R$2,756

$312 R$1,598

72.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$65.6K

$6,302 R$32.3K

103.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.62 R$208

$44.02 R$226

-7.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$238

$90.4 R$463

-48.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 R$357

$85.5 R$438

-18.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 R$331

$66.8 R$342

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R$4,242

$339 R$1,738

144.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,395

$232 R$1,186

101.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,474

$670 R$3,432

88.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R$3,704

$394 R$2,018

83.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 R$20.7K

$1,406 R$7,204

187.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R$7,743

$1,038 R$5,320

45.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,142

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.5

13.62%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 1, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Rio de Janeiro and $339 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $29.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $165 per month, with Imbituba 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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,807 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,226 in Imbituba 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: $828 in Rio de Janeiro versus $339 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Imbituba versus $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba 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 Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.