Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Itaquaquecetuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Itaquaquecetuba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $763 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,226 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,997 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,690 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 26% more than Itaquaquecetuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Itaquaquecetuba are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Itaquaquecetuba 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.54 R$28.53

29.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$27.36 R$141

29.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.20 R$31.92

3.87%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.79 R$9.20

10.06%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.09 R$5.61

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.66 R$3.39

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.77 R$9.10

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.68 R$13.81

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$0.99 R$5.12

17.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.50 R$7.75

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.18 R$6.07

19.49%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$1.94 R$9.97

3.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$8.07 R$41.59

-0.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$3.75 R$19.31

-3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.11 R$36.65

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.05 R$10.54

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.26 R$6.52

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.15 R$5.93

29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.49 R$7.69

4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.14 R$5.87

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.10 R$5.64

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.69 R$3.58

-1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.67 R$3.45

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.10 R$10.84

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$7.92 R$40.79

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.23 R$6.32

-1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.09 R$10.76

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.88 R$4.56

39.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.90 R$200

1.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.10 R$5.66

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.75 R$3.85

-5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.46 R$33.25

14.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.03 R$5.32

3.88%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$20.3K R$104.6K

0.23%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$28.0K R$144.4K

-3.33%

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

$104 R$535

$60.2 R$310

72.47%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.55 R$69.8

-10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$18.95 R$97.6

-1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.43 R$116

14.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.77 R$112

11.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.23 R$32.10

5.94%

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

$542 R$2,791

$271 R$1,398

99.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,429 R$33.1K

83.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$49.95 R$257

-11.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$41.42 R$213

1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$76.2 R$393

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$64.3 R$331

-3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$315 R$1,622

39.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$215 R$1,105

54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$580 R$2,986

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$425 R$2,187

34.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,532 R$7,891

119.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,079 R$5,560

28.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Itaquaquecetuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $315 in Itaquaquecetuba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $27.00 in Itaquaquecetuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $174 – making Itaquaquecetuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Itaquaquecetuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro, $763 in Itaquaquecetuba – roughly 26% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,440 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,144 in Itaquaquecetuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1% less in Itaquaquecetuba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $542 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $271 in Itaquaquecetuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Itaquaquecetuba, where all-in costs run around $763, than in Rio de Janeiro at $960. In Itaquaquecetuba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $763 in Itaquaquecetuba to $960 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Itaquaquecetuba. 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.