Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Macaé Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Macaé

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro versus $861 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,748 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,437 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,012 in Macaé.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 40% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Macaé 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R$43.35

$5.32 R$27.11

59.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R$194

$29.32 R$150

29.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 R$38.85

$6.82 R$34.77

11.73%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.43

$1.65 R$8.41

35.76%

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

$1.56 R$7.93

$1.29 R$6.56

20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.29

$0.56 R$2.84

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.57

$1.15 R$5.85

97.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.86

$2.78 R$14.15

19.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.65

$0.94 R$4.78

18.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$9.99

$1.51 R$7.71

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.31 R$6.68

1.53%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.32

$1.87 R$9.53

18.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 R$52.8

$8.71 R$44.41

18.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$22.04

$3.30 R$16.84

30.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 R$48.04

$9.00 R$45.89

4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.46

$1.79 R$9.14

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.79

$1.15 R$5.89

49.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.76

$0.94 R$4.77

61.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.11

$1.23 R$6.25

45.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$0.66 R$3.37

86.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.28

$0.77 R$3.92

33.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.56

$0.52 R$2.63

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.21

$0.50 R$2.57

26.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 R$14.82

$1.52 R$7.77

91.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$39.97

$5.86 R$29.89

33.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.62

$0.99 R$5.03

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.04

$1.23 R$6.30

108.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.50 R$7.66

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.98 R$250

$79.1 R$404

-38.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.06

$1.33 R$6.77

-10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.47

$0.71 R$3.65

23.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.76

$7.95 R$40.54

12.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.42

$1.21 R$6.18

4.13%

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

$23.3K R$119.1K

$20.6K R$105.1K

13.30%

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

$32.2K R$164.3K

$30.2K R$153.9K

6.82%

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

$132 R$672

$97.1 R$495

35.58%

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

$10.95 R$55.9

$9.78 R$49.90

11.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 R$112

$18.75 R$95.6

17.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 R$145

$38.63 R$197

-26.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 R$154

$29.33 R$150

3.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.80

$6.55 R$33.39

19.08%

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

$538 R$2,743

$632 R$3,221

-14.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$65.3K

$6,807 R$34.7K

88.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.62 R$207

$61.9 R$316

-34.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$236

$31.21 R$159

48.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 R$355

$64.1 R$327

8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 R$330

$45.46 R$232

42.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R$4,222

$361 R$1,839

129.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,384

$236 R$1,203

98.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,444

$869 R$4,434

45.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R$3,687

$647 R$3,302

11.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 R$20.6K

$1,227 R$6,260

229.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R$7,707

$776 R$3,955

94.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,127

$780 R$3,976

-21.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.67

11.81%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 1, 2026

Last update for Macaé: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Rio de Janeiro and $361 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $29.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $163 per month, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Macaé differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,205 vs $861 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Macaé. 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: $828 in Rio de Janeiro versus $361 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,205 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $861 in Macaé – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Macaé versus $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.