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: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $836 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,332 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,827 in Manaus.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 13% more expensive than in Manaus, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Manaus 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.01

$5.42 R$27.49

34.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$185

$25.50 R$129

42.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$32.74

$6.37 R$32.32

1.41%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.63

$2.10 R$10.66

-9.52%

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

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.03 R$5.23

25.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.40

$0.71 R$3.58

22.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.86

$2.46 R$12.49

-28.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.87

$4.94 R$25.06

-44.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.70

$1.32 R$6.72

-15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.64

$1.39 R$7.05

22.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.55

$1.15 R$5.84

29.57%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.87

$2.10 R$10.64

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.45

$9.68 R$49.06

-19.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.10

$3.55 R$17.98

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.91

$6.42 R$32.54

22.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.31

$2.21 R$11.19

9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.28

$1.57 R$7.97

3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.23 R$6.25

19.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.84

$1.80 R$9.14

-13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.18 R$5.96

4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.13 R$5.75

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.66 R$3.32

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.06

$0.61 R$3.10

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.98

$3.63 R$18.43

-45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.26

$8.85 R$44.89

-12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.39 R$7.02

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.54

$2.02 R$10.23

2.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.83 R$4.21

49.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$197

$35.96 R$182

8.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.70

$0.86 R$4.37

30.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.30

$0.70 R$3.54

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.54

$8.52 R$43.20

-13.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.36

$1.15 R$5.84

-7.83%

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

$20.3K R$102.8K

$19.9K R$101.1K

1.66%

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

$28.1K R$142.4K

$22.6K R$114.5K

24.36%

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

$101 R$513

$106 R$539

-4.79%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$13.94 R$70.7

-11.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.1

$22.74 R$115

-18.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$132

$23.00 R$117

12.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$123

$23.14 R$117

4.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.06

$5.94 R$30.11

9.76%

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

$539 R$2,735

$202 R$1,023

167.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.2K

$4,606 R$23.4K

153.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$228

$45.26 R$229

-0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$210

$29.40 R$149

40.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$387

$54.1 R$274

40.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$312

$64.2 R$325

-3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,201

$390 R$1,976

11.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,645

$240 R$1,217

35.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,290

$664 R$3,366

27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,877

$503 R$2,553

12.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$18.9K

$1,756 R$8,903

111.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,511

$1,316 R$6,675

12.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,040

$506 R$2,564

18.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

9.83

15.26%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 27, 2026

Last update for Manaus: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $390 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 19% 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: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $25.00 in Manaus. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $185, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $390 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Manaus versus $946 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 13% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.