Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and La Libertad

For one person, living is cheaper in La Libertad: $747 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in La Libertad
Learn more

La Libertad Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

La Libertad

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in La Libertad

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 La Libertad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $747 in La Libertad.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
La Libertad $747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,203 in La Libertad.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
La Libertad $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,659 in La Libertad.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
La Libertad $1,659

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 72% more expensive than in La Libertad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, La Libertad 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

$3.68 $3.68

173.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

$32.56 $32.56

24.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.99

$6.23 $6.23

37.24%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.95

$3.12 $3.12

-23.72%

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

$1.61 R$8.11

$0.87 $0.87

85.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

$0.67 $0.67

53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.44

$2.14 $2.14

15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.62

$3.48 $3.48

6.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$0.89 $0.89

33.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$1.47 $1.47

39.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$1.64 $1.64

-21.95%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$2.20 $2.20

4.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$6.81 $6.81

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.18

$4.87 $4.87

-9.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.46

$7.02 $7.02

40.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.14

$1.70 $1.70

65.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

$1.10 $1.10

61.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.07

$1.23 $1.23

30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

$0.99 $0.99

81.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$1.23 $1.23

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$0.92 $0.92

13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$0.78 $0.78

-1.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

$1.17 $1.17

-42.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.15

$4.78 $4.78

-37.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.61

$9.07 $9.07

-10.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

$1.31 $1.31

-9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

$2.83 $2.83

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.96

$0.31 $0.31

219.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$252

$19.54 $19.54

156.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.15

$1.18 $1.18

3.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

$0.97 $0.97

-5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.08

$10.01 $10.01

-10.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

$0.82 $0.82

58.54%

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

$21.6K $21.6K

10.41%

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

$29.4K $29.4K

11.79%

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

$133 R$671

$34.17 $34.17

290.40%

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

$10.82 R$54.4

$13.54 $13.54

-20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$24.99 $24.99

-8.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$26.70 $26.70

15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

$17.89 $17.89

78.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.50

$6.51 $6.51

23.66%

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

$598 R$3,005

$254 $254

135.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.5K

$4,976 $4,976

169.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

$62.7 $62.7

-32.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

$46.00 $46.00

8.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

$88.6 $88.6

-15.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

$80.4 $80.4

-14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,541

$282 $282

220.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,662

$191 $191

177.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,669

$812 $812

63.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,800

$357 $357

111.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$1,086 $1,086

269.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,845

$681 $681

129.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,216

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.05

18.71%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for La Libertad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

La Libertad

$191 25.6% 63.9% $338

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

La Libertad

$183 24.5% 14.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

La Libertad

$73 9.7% 56.5% $94

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

La Libertad

$109 14.6% 33.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

La Libertad

$125 16.7% 18.2% $19

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

La Libertad

$27 3.6% 55.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

La Libertad

$40 5.3% 15.3% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $282 in La Libertad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $33.00 in La Libertad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $183 per month, with La Libertad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 La Libertad

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

75,881

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro La Libertad 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
La Libertad

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 La Libertad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Libertad is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,121 in La Libertad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $282 in La Libertad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $254 in La Libertad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in La Libertad versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Libertad but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes La Libertad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Libertad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find La Libertad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.