Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Jamestown, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,182 a month against $2,578 in Jamestown, ND, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Jamestown, ND
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Jamestown, ND Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Jamestown, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,578

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Jamestown, ND

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 Jamestown, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,578 in Jamestown, ND.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Jamestown, ND $2,578

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,748 in Jamestown, ND.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Jamestown, ND $3,748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,919 in Jamestown, ND.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Jamestown, ND $4,919

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 54% less than in Jamestown, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 13% below, Jamestown, ND is 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$22.07 $22.07

-58.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$67.2 $67.2

-44.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$12.12 $12.12

-33.83%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$5.25 $5.25

-58.29%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$2.40 $2.40

-39.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$2.17 $2.17

-54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$5.25 $5.25

-61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$7.35 $7.35

-53.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$0.81 $0.81

30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$3.48 $3.48

-43.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$4.27 $4.27

-72.60%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$4.07 $4.07

-45.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$11.40 $11.40

-11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$10.24 $10.24

-59.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$16.79 $16.79

-45.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$4.90 $4.90

-44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.65 $1.65

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$4.79 $4.79

-68.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$5.03 $5.03

-67.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$2.73 $2.73

-58.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$3.26 $3.26

-69.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$2.20 $2.20

-70.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$1.91 $1.91

-68.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$9.06 $9.06

-69.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$12.91 $12.91

-42.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$1.94 $1.94

-43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$3.12 $3.12

-25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$2.15 $2.15

-58.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$61.9 $61.9

-14.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$3.07 $3.07

-61.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$1.63 $1.63

-52.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$26.20 $26.20

-68.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$0.95 $0.95

27.37%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-17.36%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$30.0K $30.0K

3.92%

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

$124 R$665

$201 $201

-38.03%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$58.0 $58.0

-82.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$68.7 $68.7

-69.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$36.40 $36.40

-22.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$13.11 $13.11

-41.88%

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

$563 R$3,010

$1,516 $1,516

-62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

-53.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$52.2 $52.2

-24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$42.82 $42.82

8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$89.8 $89.8

-23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$102 $102

-37.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$1,533 $1,533

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$1,263 $1,263

-62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$2,517 $2,517

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$2,062 $2,062

-64.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$3,240 $3,240

4.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$2,060 $2,060

-23.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

$3,079 $3,079

-80.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.57

81.58%

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 Jamestown, ND: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Jamestown, ND

$1.3K 49% 167% $790

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Jamestown, ND

$379 14.7% 88.6% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Jamestown, ND

$328 12.7% 111% $172

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Jamestown, ND

$335 13% 124% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Jamestown, ND

$129 5% 31.7% $31

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Jamestown, ND

$82 3.2% 32.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Jamestown, ND

$63 2.4% 43.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,533 in Jamestown, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jamestown, ND pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $67 in Jamestown, ND for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $379 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Jamestown, ND

🕒 Local time

20:10 8:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Jamestown, ND 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Jamestown, ND

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 Jamestown, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Rio de Janeiro. 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: $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,533 in Jamestown, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $37 versus $67 in Jamestown, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,578 in Jamestown, ND – Rio de Janeiro is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,578 in Jamestown, ND, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Jamestown, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Jamestown, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.