Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Juiz de Fora Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Juiz de Fora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $574 in Juiz de Fora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $935 in Juiz de Fora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,295 in Juiz de Fora.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 67% more expensive than Juiz de Fora, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Juiz de Fora 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.38

$3.55 R$18.45

102.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$184

$17.91 R$93.0

98.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.46

$4.47 R$23.19

44.07%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.25

$1.55 R$8.07

27.10%

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

$1.27 R$6.62

$1.00 R$5.20

27.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.66

$0.65 R$3.39

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.16

$0.92 R$4.77

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.94

$1.78 R$9.23

50.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$6.04

$0.80 R$4.13

45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.81

$1.41 R$7.32

20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.33

$1.59 R$8.28

-11.32%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.37

$1.69 R$8.75

18.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.78

$7.21 R$37.45

11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.79

$3.00 R$15.60

20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.58

$7.13 R$37.02

15.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.45

$1.85 R$9.59

29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.20

$1.14 R$5.91

38.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.76

$1.05 R$5.47

41.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.10

$1.31 R$6.82

19.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.77

$1.01 R$5.27

28.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.72

$0.61 R$3.15

80.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.55

$0.46 R$2.39

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.01

$0.65 R$3.36

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.12

$1.10 R$5.71

77.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$45.33

$5.89 R$30.58

48.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.31

$0.84 R$4.34

44.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.17

$1.04 R$5.40

106.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.39

$0.66 R$3.42

86.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$204

$30.15 R$157

30.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.78

$0.91 R$4.71

21.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.70

$0.67 R$3.48

5.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$38.28

$5.56 R$28.87

32.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.57

$1.04 R$5.40

2.88%

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

$20.4K R$105.7K

$17.8K R$92.4K

14.36%

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

$27.1K R$140.7K

-0.04%

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

$104 R$539

$56.7 R$294

83.22%

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

$12.18 R$63.3

$6.77 R$35.17

79.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$97.1

$16.21 R$84.2

15.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$133

$17.57 R$91.2

46.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$127

$25.10 R$130

-2.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.29

$4.43 R$23.01

48.98%

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

$542 R$2,814

$68.0 R$353

696.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$61.3K

$2,354 R$12.2K

401.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$230

$34.81 R$181

27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$218

$37.33 R$194

12.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$399

$54.7 R$284

40.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$322

$30.74 R$160

101.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,276

$196 R$1,015

124.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,716

$131 R$679

152.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,353

$472 R$2,448

77.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,956

$326 R$1,692

74.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.4K

$973 R$5,050

245.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,210

$604 R$3,137

129.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,845

$465 R$2,413

17.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.83

4.62%

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 Juiz de Fora: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $196 in Juiz de Fora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $18.00 in Juiz de Fora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $152 per month, with Juiz de Fora cheaper across the board.

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 Juiz de Fora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Juiz de Fora wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Juiz de Fora the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rio de Janeiro pays 18% more on average, 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $196 in Juiz de Fora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Juiz de Fora – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $574 in Juiz de Fora – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $574 in Juiz de Fora versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Juiz de Fora but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Juiz de Fora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Juiz de Fora delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $574 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Juiz de Fora hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Juiz de Fora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.