Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Madison, WI

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Madison, WI $2,994

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,424 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Madison, WI $4,424

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $5,854 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Madison, WI $5,854

Rio de Janeiro is about 57% cheaper than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Madison, WI is 123% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$19.62 $19.62

-49.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$68.0 $68.0

-40.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$13.07 $13.07

-35.12%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$5.63 $5.63

-58.08%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$3.16 $3.16

-48.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.53 $2.53

-60.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$7.08 $7.08

-65.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$8.23 $8.23

-55.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$0.98 $0.98

17.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$3.43 $3.43

-39.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$4.13 $4.13

-68.77%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.61 $3.61

-37.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$14.92 $14.92

-26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$13.28 $13.28

-67.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$20.06 $20.06

-51.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$4.75 $4.75

-40.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.62 $1.62

13.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$5.31 $5.31

-69.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$4.98 $4.98

-63.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.79 $2.79

-54.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$3.12 $3.12

-65.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.19 $2.19

-65.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$2.42 $2.42

-72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$10.77 $10.77

-71.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$15.75 $15.75

-48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.70 $2.70

-55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$4.43 $4.43

-46.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.06 $2.06

-50.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$65.5 $65.5

-23.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.97 $3.97

-68.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$2.02 $2.02

-55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$43.09 $43.09

-78.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.01 $1.01

31.68%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-34.91%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

31.03%

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

$134 R$666

$269 $269

-50.40%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$52.5 $52.5

-76.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$83.8 $83.8

-72.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$58.4 $58.4

-45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$10.54 $10.54

192.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$15.27 $15.27

-46.10%

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

$603 R$3,011

$1,705 $1,705

-64.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$23.0K $23.0K

-42.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$63.0 $63.0

-33.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$50.0 $50.0

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$108 $108

-30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$121 $121

-43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,789 $1,789

-49.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,572 $1,572

-66.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$3,177 $3,177

-57.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$2,565 $2,565

-69.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$4,524 $4,524

-12.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,489 $2,489

-37.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$4,383 $4,383

-85.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.69

78.33%

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 Madison, WI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1% 198% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Madison, WI

$432 14% 102% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Madison, WI

$405 13.2% 141% $237

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Madison, WI

$338 11% 107% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Madison, WI

$154 5% 45.6% $48

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Madison, WI

$88 2.9% 46.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Madison, WI

$89 2.9% 85.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,789 in Madison, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 582% higher in Madison, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $68.0 in Madison, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $432 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

248,951

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Madison, WI 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, $2,994 in Madison, WI – roughly 133% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $4,491 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,705 in Madison, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Madison, WI at $2,994. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,994 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.