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: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $772 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,228 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,684 in Imperatriz.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 23% more expensive than in Imperatriz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Imperatriz 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.04

$5.51 R$27.98

32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$185

$26.98 R$137

35.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$32.76

$6.33 R$32.14

2.05%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.64

$1.77 R$9.00

7.34%

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

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.08 R$5.47

19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.40

$0.46 R$2.35

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.86

$1.84 R$9.36

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.88

$2.68 R$13.58

1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.70

$0.99 R$5.02

13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.64

$1.46 R$7.41

16.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.55

$1.18 R$5.98

26.27%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.88

$1.95 R$9.91

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.47

$8.23 R$41.78

-5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.11

$3.71 R$18.84

-3.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.94

$7.16 R$36.32

9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.32

$2.04 R$10.35

19.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.28

$1.26 R$6.38

29.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.18 R$6.00

24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.85

$1.50 R$7.60

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.26

$1.15 R$5.82

6.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.11 R$5.62

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.71 R$3.58

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.06

$0.65 R$3.30

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.99

$2.09 R$10.59

-5.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.29

$8.16 R$41.41

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.27 R$6.45

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.55

$1.98 R$10.03

5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.29

$0.86 R$4.34

44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$197

$38.05 R$193

2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.70

$1.11 R$5.63

0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.30

$0.71 R$3.61

-8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.57

$6.41 R$32.55

15.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.37

$1.04 R$5.28

1.92%

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

$20.3K R$102.8K

$20.9K R$106.2K

-3.17%

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

$28.1K R$142.5K

$27.4K R$139.0K

2.52%

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

$101 R$513

$60.0 R$304

68.67%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$13.74 R$69.7

-10.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.1

$19.04 R$96.6

-2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$132

$22.58 R$115

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$123

$21.66 R$110

11.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.08

$6.29 R$31.90

3.66%

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

$539 R$2,737

$267 R$1,352

102.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.2K

$6,610 R$33.5K

76.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$228

$49.60 R$252

-9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$210

$41.24 R$209

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$387

$76.5 R$388

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$313

$65.5 R$332

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,203

$312 R$1,585

38.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,646

$218 R$1,105

48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,293

$588 R$2,985

43.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,879

$436 R$2,211

30.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$18.9K

$1,796 R$9,115

107.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,516

$1,253 R$6,360

18.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,043

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $312 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 $184 vs $175 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,419 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,157 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: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $312 in Imperatriz. 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 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 $772 in Imperatriz versus $946 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 23% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.