Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Islip, NY

For one person, living costs are similar in Rio de Janeiro and in Islip, NY: $1,289 and $1,268 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Islip, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,268 in Islip, NY.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Islip, NY $1,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,210 in Islip, NY.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Islip, NY $2,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,153 in Islip, NY.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Islip, NY $3,153

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 2% more expensive than in Islip, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Islip, NY 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$26.16 $26.16

-61.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$119 $119

-65.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$14.20 $14.20

-39.79%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$5.27 $5.27

-54.84%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$2.93 $2.93

-45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$2.35 $2.35

-56.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$8.32 $8.32

-70.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$10.13 $10.13

-63.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.38 $1.38

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$4.47 $4.47

-54.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$4.29 $4.29

-70.16%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$5.07 $5.07

-54.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$18.96 $18.96

-43.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$17.69 $17.69

-75.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$16.64 $16.64

-40.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$4.26 $4.26

-34.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.33 $1.33

33.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$2.21 $2.21

-27.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$2.89 $2.89

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.70 $1.70

-28.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$2.25 $2.25

-53.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.56 $1.56

-50.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.12 $1.12

-40.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$15.19 $15.19

-80.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$12.76 $12.76

-36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.39 $2.39

-50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.90 $3.90

-35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$4.52 $4.52

-78.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.07 $3.07

-60.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$2.20 $2.20

-58.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$42.03 $42.03

-78.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.12 $1.12

16.07%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$35.2K $35.2K

-32.21%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

26.14%

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

$133 R$676

$79.8 $79.8

67.23%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$70.5 $70.5

-84.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$70.4 $70.4

-67.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$59.4 $59.4

-48.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$16.13 $16.13

-50.09%

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

$598 R$3,029

$3,352 $3,352

-82.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$59.7K $59.7K

-77.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$45.57 $45.57

-7.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$27.03 $27.03

83.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$76.0 $76.0

-1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$88.9 $88.9

-22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$2,025 $2,025

-55.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$3,391 $3,391

-60.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

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

$4,012 $4,012

-84.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.63

79.94%

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 Islip, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Islip, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Islip, NY

$418 33% 94.9% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Islip, NY

$221 17.4% 32% $54

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Islip, NY

$398 31.4% 141% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Islip, NY

$107 8.4% 1.1% $1.1

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Islip, NY

$32 * 2.5% 46.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Islip, NY

$92 7.2% 95.5% $45

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 $2,025 in Islip, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Islip, NY pays 527% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $119 in Islip, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $418 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

339,938

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Islip, NY 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Islip, NY

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 Islip, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islip, NY is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 527% lower in Islip, NY. 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 $2,025 in Islip, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,352 in Islip, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Islip, NY – a meal for two runs $119 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,268 in Islip, NY versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islip, NY but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Islip, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Islip, NY 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 Islip, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.