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: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $791 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,243 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,695 in Imbituba.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 21% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.56 R$28.63

29.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$27.26 R$140

30.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.11 R$31.50

5.40%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.80 R$9.29

9.44%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.12 R$5.79

13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.66 R$3.39

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.83 R$9.40

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.64 R$13.58

1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$1.00 R$5.14

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.47 R$7.55

15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.19 R$6.15

18.49%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$1.96 R$10.10

2.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$8.45 R$43.51

-4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.55 R$18.29

1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.32 R$37.70

12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.06 R$10.62

16.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.26 R$6.49

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.19 R$6.11

25.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.51 R$7.79

3.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.18 R$6.08

10.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.09 R$5.63

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.70 R$3.61

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.61 R$3.14

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.07 R$10.68

-5.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$9.78 R$50.4

-10.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.27 R$6.54

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.05 R$10.55

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.86 R$4.41

43.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.09 R$196

3.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.10 R$5.68

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.76 R$3.90

-6.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.52 R$33.58

13.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.04 R$5.34

2.88%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$20.8K R$106.9K

-1.93%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$27.8K R$143.2K

-2.51%

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

$104 R$535

$60.9 R$313

70.60%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.61 R$70.1

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$19.11 R$98.4

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.50 R$116

14.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.40 R$110

13.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.39 R$32.92

3.29%

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

$542 R$2,791

$273 R$1,406

98.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,479 R$33.4K

82.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$49.30 R$254

-10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$42.04 R$217

-0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$74.4 R$383

3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$64.9 R$334

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$315 R$1,621

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$218 R$1,123

51.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$593 R$3,056

41.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$431 R$2,220

32.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,728 R$8,902

94.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,076 R$5,543

29.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $315 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $178 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. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,440 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,186 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $315 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $27.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $791 in Imbituba versus $960 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 21% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.