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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $774 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,226 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,679 in Imperatriz.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 24% more expensive than Imperatriz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Imperatriz 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.51 R$28.37

30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$26.61 R$137

33.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.23 R$32.08

3.37%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.75 R$9.00

12.57%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.08 R$5.55

17.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.43 R$2.21

109.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.85 R$9.52

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.75 R$14.18

-2.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$0.92 R$4.76

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.50 R$7.74

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.17 R$6.04

20.51%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$2.03 R$10.48

-1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$8.02 R$41.33

0.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.53 R$18.19

2.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.46 R$38.43

9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.11 R$10.88

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.25 R$6.45

26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.14 R$5.88

30.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.44 R$7.40

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.20 R$6.18

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.05 R$5.41

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.74 R$3.79

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.62 R$3.18

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.16 R$11.15

-9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$7.04 R$36.27

24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.22 R$6.30

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.04 R$10.52

5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.88 R$4.52

39.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.12 R$196

3.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.06 R$5.44

4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.69 R$3.57

2.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.46 R$33.28

14.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.04 R$5.36

2.88%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$21.0K R$107.9K

-2.87%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$27.4K R$141.3K

-1.23%

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

$104 R$535

$61.4 R$317

68.96%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.67 R$70.4

-10.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$18.82 R$97.0

-0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.08 R$114

16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.33 R$110

14.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.21 R$32.00

6.28%

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

$542 R$2,791

$274 R$1,410

97.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,382 R$32.9K

85.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$48.13 R$248

-8.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$42.12 R$217

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$76.2 R$393

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$65.3 R$336

-4.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$315 R$1,625

38.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$212 R$1,092

55.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$587 R$3,026

42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$424 R$2,184

34.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,622 R$8,353

106.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,145 R$5,898

21.28%

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 Imperatriz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Imperatriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $171 per month, with Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,440 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,161 in Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – 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 $774 in Imperatriz versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.