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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $948 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $673 in Itu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,245 in Itu, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,817 in Itu, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 41% more than Itu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Itu are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Itu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 R$34.96

$5.26 R$26.15

33.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.46 R$176

$33.39 R$166

6.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$30.78

$5.71 R$28.39

8.41%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R$9.92

$1.67 R$8.30

19.76%

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

$1.29 R$6.41

$0.70 R$3.46

84.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.46

$0.47 R$2.32

91.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.75

$1.82 R$9.05

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.09

$3.38 R$16.82

-22.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.62

$1.02 R$5.07

10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$8.40

$1.38 R$6.85

22.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.04

$1.30 R$6.49

9.23%

Eggs

$1.92 R$9.55

$2.31 R$11.50

-16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R$38.73

$8.07 R$40.11

-3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.05

$3.52 R$17.49

3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 R$39.72

$5.24 R$26.04

52.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 R$11.60

$1.58 R$7.86

47.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.29 R$6.43

24.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.25

$0.69 R$3.44

111.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.80

$1.52 R$7.53

3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.19

$0.87 R$4.31

43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.76

$1.10 R$5.46

5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.44

$0.74 R$3.70

-6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.07

$0.46 R$2.29

34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.77

$2.63 R$13.09

-25.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 R$39.28

$6.03 R$29.97

31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.38 R$6.85

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.52

$2.75 R$13.68

-22.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 R$6.38

$0.94 R$4.68

36.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 R$191

$38.02 R$189

0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.54

$0.92 R$4.58

20.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.54

$0.89 R$4.43

-20.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$38.70

$8.49 R$42.20

-8.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.29

$0.91 R$4.54

16.48%

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

$20.9K R$104.0K

$22.5K R$112.1K

-7.18%

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

$27.9K R$138.6K

$25.3K R$125.6K

10.28%

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

$103 R$513

$46.58 R$231

121.73%

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

$12.22 R$60.7

$10.76 R$53.5

13.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.82 R$93.5

$15.50 R$77.0

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 R$127

$22.63 R$112

13.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 R$120

$21.35 R$106

13.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 R$31.72

$4.43 R$21.99

44.02%

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

$551 R$2,738

$311 R$1,546

77.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$58.1K

$6,849 R$34.0K

70.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.89 R$228

$44.51 R$221

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.16 R$205

$36.42 R$181

13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$380

$62.2 R$309

23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$302

$45.23 R$225

34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,154

$284 R$1,409

52.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R$1,669

$179 R$891

87.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 R$4,237

$711 R$3,535

19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 R$2,926

$598 R$2,974

-1.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 R$14.5K

$1,698 R$8,439

72.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 R$6,668

$1,183 R$5,882

13.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 R$2,708

$295 R$1,468

84.44%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Itu: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Rio de Janeiro versus $284 in Itu. 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 84% 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 $35 in Rio de Janeiro versus $33 in Itu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $160 – making Itu 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 Itu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $948 in Rio de Janeiro, $673 in Itu – roughly 41% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,009 in Itu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $33.00 in Itu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $948 in Rio de Janeiro and $673 in Itu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $948 in Rio de Janeiro and $673 in Itu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $673 in Itu to $948 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Itu. 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.