Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
Learn more

Machala Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $654 in Machala.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Machala $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,045 in Machala.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Machala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,436 in Machala.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Machala $1,436

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 97% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Machala 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$2.69 $2.69

273.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$25.09 $25.09

61.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$5.21 $5.21

64.11%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.70 $2.70

-11.85%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.84 $0.84

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.75 $0.75

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.94 $1.94

27.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.80 $3.80

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.10 $1.10

8.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.05 $1.05

95.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$0.96 $0.96

33.33%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$1.50 $1.50

52.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$3.34 $3.34

222.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$4.12 $4.12

7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$4.80 $4.80

105.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$1.54 $1.54

82.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$0.64 $0.64

178.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$0.74 $0.74

116.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.53 $0.53

239.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.38 $0.38

221.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.49 $0.49

112.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.37 $0.37

108.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.99 $0.99

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$4.39 $4.39

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$7.59 $7.59

6.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.51 $1.51

-21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.11 $2.11

18.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.33 $0.33

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$22.38 $22.38

123.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.47 $1.47

-17.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.80 $1.80

-48.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$7.98 $7.98

12.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.59 $0.59

120.34%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$18.1K $18.1K

31.87%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$21.9K $21.9K

50.24%

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

$133 R$676

$50.8 $50.8

162.44%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$15.01 $15.01

-27.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$26.60 $26.60

-13.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$43.11 $43.11

-28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$30.17 $30.17

5.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$4.91 $4.91

63.95%

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

$598 R$3,029

$133 $133

348.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,667 $5,667

136.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$65.9 $65.9

-36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$39.72 $39.72

25.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$79.8 $79.8

-6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$67.6 $67.6

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$193 $193

366.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$132 $132

301.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$349 $349

280.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$265 $265

185.25%

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

$458 $458

39.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

138.60%

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 Machala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Machala

$132 20.2% 75.1% $398

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Machala

$136 20.7% 36.7% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Machala

$92 14.1% 44.7% $75

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Machala

$93 14.3% 43.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Machala

$114 17.4% 7.7% $8.1

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Machala

$34 5.2% 42.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Machala

$53 8.1% 12.9% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $193 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 40% 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 $25.00 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

231,260

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Machala 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $193 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 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 $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $654 in Machala – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.