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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro versus $886 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,799 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,399 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,360 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,913 in Manaus.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 10% lower, Manaus 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R$47.10

$5.70 R$29.39

60.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.73 R$200

$27.35 R$141

41.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 R$41.47

$6.69 R$34.46

20.33%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.52

$2.28 R$11.73

-1.75%

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

$1.58 R$8.16

$1.05 R$5.43

50.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.27

$0.78 R$4.04

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 R$12.06

$2.68 R$13.78

-12.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R$16.70

$5.28 R$27.21

-38.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.64

$1.38 R$7.12

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$10.18

$1.55 R$7.98

27.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$7.02

$1.26 R$6.49

7.94%

Eggs

$2.28 R$11.75

$2.59 R$13.32

-11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 R$55.8

$9.71 R$50.0

11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 R$21.61

$3.81 R$19.65

9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 R$49.58

$7.03 R$36.23

36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 R$13.53

$2.33 R$12.00

12.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.91

$1.63 R$8.40

6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.90

$1.42 R$7.31

7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.46

$1.97 R$10.14

-6.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.35

$1.21 R$6.24

1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.17

$1.20 R$6.18

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.81

$0.74 R$3.80

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.14

$0.63 R$3.25

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$15.12

$3.61 R$18.61

-18.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 R$46.38

$8.78 R$45.22

2.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.12

$1.41 R$7.27

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.00

$1.63 R$8.40

42.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.78

$0.87 R$4.50

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 R$255

$38.18 R$197

29.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.12

$0.95 R$4.88

25.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.31

$0.84 R$4.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 R$46.51

$9.58 R$49.37

-5.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.58

$1.32 R$6.81

-3.03%

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

$23.0K R$118.3K

$23.2K R$119.5K

-0.97%

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

$32.1K R$165.4K

$32.0K R$164.8K

0.37%

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

$136 R$699

$115 R$591

18.28%

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

$12.02 R$61.9

$15.37 R$79.2

-21.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 R$113

$24.52 R$126

-10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 R$155

$25.29 R$130

18.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.58 R$152

$24.22 R$125

22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 R$40.89

$6.20 R$31.97

28.06%

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

$551 R$2,837

$219 R$1,127

151.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K R$68.6K

$5,047 R$26.0K

163.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.13 R$207

$49.48 R$255

-18.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 R$241

$31.09 R$160

50.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 R$371

$58.4 R$301

23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 R$342

$69.0 R$356

-3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 R$4,289

$620 R$3,196

34.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 R$2,481

$210 R$1,081

129.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 R$6,586

$924 R$4,762

38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 R$3,616

$477 R$2,459

47.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,929 R$20.2K

$1,700 R$8,756

131.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 R$7,608

$1,293 R$6,662

14.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,311

$517 R$2,663

24.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.33

15.49%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manaus: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $833 in Rio de Janeiro and $620 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 24% 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: $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $195 per month, with Manaus 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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $833 in Rio de Janeiro versus $620 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $886 in Manaus versus $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus 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 Manaus 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.