Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Iowa City, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rio de Janeiro and in Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Iowa City, IA $2,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,367 in Iowa City, IA.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Iowa City, IA $3,367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,366 in Iowa City, IA.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Iowa City, IA $4,366

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 46% less than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Iowa City, IA is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$14.24 $14.24

-29.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$68.1 $68.1

-40.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$8.74 $8.74

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$5.78 $5.78

-58.82%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$2.76 $2.76

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$2.17 $2.17

-52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$4.90 $4.90

-49.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$6.80 $6.80

-45.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.83 $0.83

43.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.76 $2.76

-25.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.02 $2.02

-36.63%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$3.60 $3.60

-36.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$9.51 $9.51

13.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$10.32 $10.32

-57.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$20.56 $20.56

-52.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$3.32 $3.32

-15.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.23 $1.23

44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$2.75 $2.75

-41.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$4.86 $4.86

-62.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$2.03 $2.03

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$2.37 $2.37

-56.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.70 $1.70

-54.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$2.43 $2.43

-72.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$8.79 $8.79

-65.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$13.27 $13.27

-39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.77 $1.77

-32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$4.32 $4.32

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$15.96 $15.96

213.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.97 $3.97

-69.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.99 $1.99

-53.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$43.23 $43.23

-79.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.00 $1.00

30.00%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-33.76%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$25.2K $25.2K

30.21%

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

$133 R$676

$266 $266

-49.77%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$53.3 $53.3

-79.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$81.9 $81.9

-72.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$48.68 $48.68

-36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$19.82 $19.82

60.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$13.74 $13.74

-41.41%

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

$598 R$3,029

$1,285 $1,285

-53.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$23.7K $23.7K

-43.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$64.3 $64.3

-34.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$50.1 $50.1

-0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$101 $101

-25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$113 $113

-39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$1,179 $1,179

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$1,096 $1,096

-51.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$2,297 $2,297

-42.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$1,671 $1,671

-54.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$3,825 $3,825

4.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$1,963 $1,963

-20.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$3,701 $3,701

-82.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.45

84.96%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3% 107% $567

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8% 63.2% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9% 140% $234

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3% 62% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2% 39.5% $42

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3% 50.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2% 62.4% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 479% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $68.0 in Iowa City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $350 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

74,828

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Iowa City, IA 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Iowa City, IA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 479% lower in Iowa City, IA. 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: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 214% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,285 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Iowa City, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.