Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Las Tablas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Tablas: $458 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Las Tablas

🇵🇦 Panama

$458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Las Tablas

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 Las Tablas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $458 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Las Tablas $458

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $680 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Las Tablas $680

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $902 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Las Tablas $902

Rio de Janeiro costs about 182% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Las Tablas are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Las Tablas 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$9.99 PAB 9.99

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$29.72 PAB 29.72

36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$8.34 PAB 8.34

2.52%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.99 PAB 0.99

62.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.03 PAB 1.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.24 PAB 1.24

99.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$2.69 PAB 2.69

37.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.93 PAB 1.93

6.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.11 PAB 2.11

8.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$4.34 PAB 4.34

-35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.26 PAB 1.26

41.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.55 PAB 1.55

16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.24 PAB 1.24

-37.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.03 PAB 1.03

-34.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$5.68 PAB 5.68

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.31 PAB 1.31

-9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$1.72 PAB 1.72

45.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$0.99 PAB 0.99

23.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.89 PAB 0.89

46.07%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

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

$133 R$676

$149 PAB 149

-10.42%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$22.86 PAB 22.86

-52.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$37.04 PAB 37.04

-38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$19.94 PAB 19.94

54.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Las Tablas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Las Tablas

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Las Tablas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Las Tablas

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Las Tablas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Las Tablas

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Las Tablas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Las Tablas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $30.00 in Las Tablas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $103 – making Las Tablas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇵🇦 Las Tablas

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

8,939

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Las Tablas 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Las Tablas

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 Las Tablas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 182% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $687 in Las Tablas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $458 in Las Tablas. That's a gap of about 182%.

Groceries cost about 108% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Las Tablas, where all-in costs run around $458, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Las Tablas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Las Tablas costs $458 versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Las Tablas. 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.