Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,312 in London, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,312 in London.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
London $2,312

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,278 in London.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
London $3,278

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,243 in London.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
London $4,243

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 44% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, London is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$21.22 CA$30.24

-52.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$62.6 CA$89.3

-35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$12.36 CA$17.61

-31.39%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.65 CA$5.20

-35.34%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.18 CA$3.10

-25.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.06 CA$2.94

-50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$6.47 CA$9.22

-62.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$6.47 CA$9.23

-42.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.95 CA$2.78

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.61 CA$3.72

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$3.94 CA$5.62

-67.26%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.74 CA$5.34

-39.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$9.83 CA$14.02

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$11.28 CA$16.08

-61.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$15.02 CA$21.40

-35.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$4.24 CA$6.04

-33.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.29 CA$1.84

42.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$3.85 CA$5.49

-58.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$4.06 CA$5.79

-55.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$3.17 CA$4.53

-60.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$3.02 CA$4.31

-64.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.58 CA$3.68

-70.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.46 CA$2.09

-54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$11.98 CA$17.08

-74.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$12.50 CA$17.82

-34.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.40 CA$3.43

-50.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.87 CA$4.09

-16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.26 CA$3.22

-55.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$77.4 CA$110

-35.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.51 CA$3.58

-49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.60 CA$2.29

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$21.83 CA$31.11

-56.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.17 CA$1.67

13.68%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

-15.63%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$22.7K CA$32.4K

47.59%

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

$134 R$666

$135 CA$193

-1.16%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$39.06 CA$55.7

-68.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$56.4 CA$80.3

-59.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$37.00 CA$52.7

-14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$28.27 CA$40.29

9.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$10.41 CA$14.84

-20.94%

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

$603 R$3,011

$407 CA$579

48.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$20.2K CA$28.8K

-34.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$52.0 CA$74.1

-19.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$38.12 CA$54.3

31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$82.8 CA$118

-9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$90.7 CA$129

-24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,270 CA$1,810

-28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,148 CA$1,636

-54.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$2,013 CA$2,870

-33.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,703 CA$2,428

-54.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$3,440 CA$4,904

15.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$3,519 CA$5,015

-55.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$2,882 CA$4,108

-77.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.72

152.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

London

$1.1K 49.4% 118% $620

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

London

$358 15.4% 66.9% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

London

$230 9.9% 36.9% $62

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

London

$313 13.5% 90.9% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

London

$119 5.1% 12.2% $13

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

London

$97 4.2% 61.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

London

$58 2.5% 20.4% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,270 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 348% 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 $63.0 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $358 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 London

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

383,822

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro London 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 348% lower in London. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,270 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,312 in London – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 54% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,312 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and London are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.