Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Itajubá, MG

For one person, living is cheaper in Itajubá, MG: $865 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Itajubá, MG
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Itajubá, MG Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Itajubá, MG

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Itajubá, MG

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $865 in Itajubá, MG.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Itajubá, MG $865

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,275 in Itajubá, MG.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Itajubá, MG $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,685 in Itajubá, MG.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Itajubá, MG $1,685

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 37% more expensive than in Itajubá, MG, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Itajubá, MG 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$49.39

$4.51 R$24.54

101.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$203

$23.39 R$127

59.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$43.62

$4.58 R$24.94

75.11%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.91

$1.23 R$6.70

78.05%

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

$1.46 R$7.96

$1.15 R$6.23

26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.37

$0.64 R$3.51

54.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$11.03

$1.82 R$9.90

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.75

$3.01 R$16.37

14.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.76

$1.03 R$5.59

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.79

$1.61 R$8.74

22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.38

$0.96 R$5.20

21.87%

Eggs

$2.21 R$12.01

$2.24 R$12.20

-1.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$55.0

$10.71 R$58.3

-5.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.39

$3.63 R$19.77

13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.89

$7.46 R$40.56

22.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.79

$2.86 R$15.55

-4.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.31

$1.56 R$8.51

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.32

$1.03 R$5.62

48.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$9.04

$1.85 R$10.06

-10.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.19

$1.06 R$5.79

7.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.41

$1.05 R$5.74

-5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.52

$0.67 R$3.64

-2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.26

$0.64 R$3.50

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$15.20

$3.01 R$16.37

-7.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$40.69

$7.95 R$43.26

-5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.93

$1.17 R$6.38

-6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.69

$1.62 R$8.81

43.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.87

$0.98 R$5.32

-8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$288

$44.56 R$242

18.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.35

$1.20 R$6.53

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.24

$0.89 R$4.86

-12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$45.53

$8.93 R$48.59

-6.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.60

$1.11 R$6.06

9.01%

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

$21.5K R$116.8K

$23.2K R$125.9K

-7.29%

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

$31.1K R$169.4K

$33.3K R$181.2K

-6.52%

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

$124 R$677

$131 R$711

-4.81%

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

$10.03 R$54.6

$10.89 R$59.2

-7.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$114

$18.75 R$102

11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$154

$15.47 R$84.1

83.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$160

$27.22 R$148

7.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$41.43

$7.92 R$43.06

-3.79%

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

$563 R$3,062

$586 R$3,186

-3.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$65.5K

$13.2K R$71.9K

-8.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$213

$41.57 R$226

-5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$252

$48.41 R$263

-4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$372

$73.4 R$399

-6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$345

$66.8 R$363

-5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,222

$350 R$1,905

121.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,574

$239 R$1,302

97.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,566

$525 R$2,858

164.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$4,020

$357 R$1,941

107.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.5K

$1,670 R$9,083

103.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,541

$1,165 R$6,336

34.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,247

$298 R$1,620

100.49%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Itajubá, MG: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Itajubá, MG

$239 27.7% 49.4% $234

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Itajubá, MG

$190 21.9% 5.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Itajubá, MG

$160 18.5% 3.2% $5

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Itajubá, MG

$87 10% 42% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Itajubá, MG

$104 12% 5.9% $5.7

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Itajubá, MG

$54 6.3% 12.2% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Itajubá, MG

$31 3.6% 28.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $350 in Itajubá, MG. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $23 in Itajubá, MG for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $190 per month, with Itajubá, MG cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Itajubá, MG

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

93,073

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rio de Janeiro Itajubá, MG 240 km

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Itajubá, MG

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 Itajubá, MG: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $865 in Itajubá, MG, so Itajubá, MG is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Rio de Janeiro is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $350 in Itajubá, MG. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $563 in Rio de Janeiro versus $586 in Itajubá, MG. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Itajubá, MG gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.