Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Macaé

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $887 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
Learn more

Macaé Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $887 in Macaé.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Macaé $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,495 in Macaé.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Macaé $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,102 in Macaé.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Macaé $2,102

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$5.43 R$27.54

72.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$29.78 R$151

34.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$6.91 R$35.00

20.69%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.72 R$8.73

33.14%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.39 R$7.04

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.63 R$3.18

60.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$1.21 R$6.16

76.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$2.79 R$14.16

31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.96 R$4.85

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.56 R$7.91

33.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.38 R$6.99

-9.42%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$1.94 R$9.85

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$9.12 R$46.21

19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$3.34 R$16.92

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$9.69 R$49.10

-0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$1.86 R$9.40

53.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.20 R$6.11

50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$0.96 R$4.85

64.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.23 R$6.21

48.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$0.64 R$3.23

87.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$0.81 R$4.09

30.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.54 R$2.73

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.52 R$2.64

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$1.56 R$7.88

88.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$6.09 R$30.86

31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$0.95 R$4.82

24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.25 R$6.35

93.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.61 R$8.16

-41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$83.9 R$425

-40.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.41 R$7.14

-14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.79 R$4.03

5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$7.92 R$40.16

13.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$21.5K R$109.0K

5.91%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$31.2K R$158.2K

8.85%

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

$134 R$681

$100.0 R$507

34.39%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$10.21 R$51.7

5.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$18.76 R$95.1

21.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$39.82 R$202

-24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$34.04 R$173

-7.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$6.79 R$34.44

13.84%

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

$584 R$2,960

$648 R$3,283

-9.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$7,012 R$35.5K

82.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$63.1 R$320

-34.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$32.02 R$162

53.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$66.9 R$339

10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$46.66 R$237

41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$370 R$1,873

143.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$241 R$1,221

118.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$886 R$4,490

50.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$669 R$3,392

11.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,270 R$6,436

214.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$800 R$4,054

95.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$799 R$4,049

-19.81%

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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Macaé: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Macaé

$241 27.2% 54.3% $286

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Macaé

$169 19.1% 20.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Macaé

$129 14.5% 23.2% $39

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Macaé

$105 11.8% 32.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Macaé

$94 10.6% 9.3% $9.6

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Macaé

$96 10.8% 61.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Macaé

$53 6% 17.1% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $370 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $30.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $169 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Macaé

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

246,391

💱 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

On the map

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Rio de Janeiro Macaé 150 km

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Rio de Janeiro
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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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Macaé differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $887 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $370 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 $30.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $887 in Macaé – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Macaé versus $1,273 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 44% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.