Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Lavras

For one person, living is cheaper in Lavras: $885 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Lavras
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Lavras Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Lavras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Lavras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $885 in Lavras.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Lavras $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,256 in Lavras.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Lavras $1,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,626 in Lavras.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Lavras $1,626

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 44% more expensive than in Lavras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Lavras 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$4.24 R$21.52

121.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$18.15 R$92.0

120.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$8.08 R$40.94

3.22%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.89 R$9.60

21.16%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.27 R$6.41

25.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.66 R$3.34

53.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$2.16 R$10.93

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$2.31 R$11.71

58.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.77 R$3.88

46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.80 R$9.11

16.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.35 R$6.86

-7.41%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.27 R$11.52

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$9.68 R$49.06

12.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$4.42 R$22.41

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$7.84 R$39.77

22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$1.21 R$6.15

135.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.27 R$6.43

42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$0.82 R$4.14

92.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.22 R$6.20

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$0.77 R$3.90

55.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.01 R$5.14

4.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.80 R$4.03

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.77 R$3.92

-11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.53 R$12.85

16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$8.00 R$40.54

-0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.18 R$5.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.63 R$8.28

48.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.03 R$5.20

-8.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$60.6 R$307

-16.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.03 R$5.24

16.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.75 R$3.83

10.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$6.45 R$32.68

39.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.30 R$6.59

-0.77%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$22.9K R$116.2K

-0.60%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$33.6K R$170.2K

1.12%

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

$134 R$681

$76.4 R$387

75.88%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$10.43 R$52.9

2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$20.61 R$104

10.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$30.07 R$152

0.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$18.16 R$92.1

73.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$7.92 R$40.16

-2.40%

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

$584 R$2,960

$286 R$1,452

103.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$3,301 R$16.7K

287.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$60.6 R$307

-32.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$49.25 R$250

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$99.2 R$503

-25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$70.8 R$359

-6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$359 R$1,819

150.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$252 R$1,278

109.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$347 R$1,759

284.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$276 R$1,400

170.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,212 R$6,142

229.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$997 R$5,055

56.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$482 R$2,445

32.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.25

6.04%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lavras: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Lavras

$252 28.5% 52.2% $275

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Lavras

$180 20.3% 15.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Lavras

$107 12.1% 36% $60

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Lavras

$104 11.8% 33.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Lavras

$126 14.2% 21.7% $22

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Lavras

$70 7.9% 17% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Lavras

$46 5.2% 0.7% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $359 in Lavras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 33% 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: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $18.00 in Lavras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $180 per month, with Lavras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Lavras

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

104,761

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Lavras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lavras wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lavras the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $359 in Lavras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lavras runs roughly 20% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $286 in Lavras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $885 in Lavras versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lavras but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Lavras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lavras delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lavras hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lavras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.