Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Iquitos

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 Iquitos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $663 in Iquitos, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Iquitos $663

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,185 in Iquitos, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Iquitos $1,185

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,707 in Iquitos, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Iquitos $1,707

Rio de Janeiro costs about 94% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Iquitos are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Iquitos 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.31 PEN 14.81

133.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$38.44 PEN 132

5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$7.30 PEN 25.06

17.12%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$3.57 PEN 12.26

-33.33%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.85 PEN 2.92

89.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.56 PEN 1.91

83.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.82 PEN 9.69

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-50.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.30 PEN 7.91

-10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.56 PEN 8.80

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$3.28 PEN 11.26

34.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.89 PEN 3.07

-24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

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

$133 R$676

$34.73 PEN 119

284.11%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$11.34 PEN 38.95

-4.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$8.74 PEN 30.03

162.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$29.05 PEN 99.8

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$8.75 PEN 30.06

264.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$5.64 PEN 19.37

42.73%

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$2,789 PEN 9,576

381.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$87.7 PEN 301

-52.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$35.24 PEN 121

40.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$52.9 PEN 182

40.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$26.21 PEN 90.0

162.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$343 PEN 1,180

162.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$265 PEN 909

99.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$882 PEN 3,029

50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$712 PEN 2,445

6.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$573 PEN 1,968

11.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $343 in Iquitos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $38.00 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $78.0 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

32,853

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Iquitos 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $994 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 175% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $38.00 in Iquitos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.