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 $1,205 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $835 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,327 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,292 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,819 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 44% more than Itaquaquecetuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Itaquaquecetuba are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Itaquaquecetuba 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R$43.56

$5.21 R$26.72

63.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R$195

$29.67 R$152

28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 R$39.03

$6.90 R$35.36

10.43%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.48

$1.99 R$10.17

12.56%

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

$1.56 R$7.97

$1.10 R$5.61

41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.32

$0.85 R$4.37

22.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.63

$2.00 R$10.26

13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.93

$2.59 R$13.27

27.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.67

$1.01 R$5.18

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$10.03

$1.59 R$8.16

23.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.80

$1.26 R$6.45

5.56%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.37

$2.07 R$10.61

7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 R$53.0

$9.36 R$47.94

10.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$22.15

$4.01 R$20.55

7.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 R$48.27

$8.11 R$41.57

16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.52

$2.18 R$11.18

21.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.83

$1.24 R$6.36

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.79

$1.15 R$5.87

32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.15

$1.60 R$8.17

11.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.28

$1.22 R$6.23

0.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.30

$1.09 R$5.57

-5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.58

$0.78 R$4.00

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.23

$0.81 R$4.14

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 R$14.89

$2.44 R$12.51

19.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$40.15

$7.74 R$39.66

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.65

$1.20 R$6.13

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.10

$2.10 R$10.74

21.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.11

$0.94 R$4.80

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.98 R$251

$40.08 R$205

22.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.09

$1.29 R$6.63

-7.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.49

$0.77 R$3.95

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.97

$7.46 R$38.22

20.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.11 R$5.67

13.51%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$23.5K R$120.4K

-0.60%

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

$32.2K R$165.1K

$35.1K R$180.0K

-8.27%

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

$132 R$675

$77.4 R$396

70.20%

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

$10.95 R$56.1

$11.81 R$60.5

-7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 R$112

$22.21 R$114

-1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 R$146

$22.90 R$117

24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 R$155

$26.36 R$135

14.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.98

$5.92 R$30.31

31.76%

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

$538 R$2,756

$261 R$1,336

106.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$65.6K

$7,872 R$40.3K

62.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.62 R$208

$50.0 R$256

-18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$238

$46.47 R$238

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 R$357

$85.8 R$440

-18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 R$331

$68.7 R$352

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R$4,242

$337 R$1,728

145.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,395

$217 R$1,113

115.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,474

$714 R$3,658

77.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R$3,704

$447 R$2,289

61.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 R$20.7K

$1,759 R$9,011

129.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R$7,743

$988 R$5,060

53.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,142

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.12

7.28%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 1, 2026

Last update for Itaquaquecetuba: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $828 in Rio de Janeiro versus $337 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 $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $30.00 in Itaquaquecetuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $187 – 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: $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro, $835 in Itaquaquecetuba – roughly 44% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,807 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,252 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 22% less in Itaquaquecetuba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $538 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $261 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 $835, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,205. 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 $835 in Itaquaquecetuba to $1,205 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.