Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Manaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Manaus: $931 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Manaus
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Manaus Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Manaus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $931 in Manaus.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Manaus $931

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,368 in Manaus.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Manaus $1,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,806 in Manaus.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Manaus $1,806

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 27% more expensive than in Manaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Manaus 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$49.39

$5.74 R$31.25

58.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$203

$25.62 R$139

45.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$43.62

$6.47 R$35.21

23.96%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.91

$2.19 R$11.94

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

$1.46 R$7.96

$0.99 R$5.39

47.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.37

$0.73 R$3.99

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$11.03

$2.54 R$13.83

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.75

$5.05 R$27.45

-31.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.76

$1.32 R$7.17

-19.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.79

$1.54 R$8.38

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.38

$1.14 R$6.18

2.63%

Eggs

$2.21 R$12.01

$2.46 R$13.39

-10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$55.0

$9.14 R$49.72

10.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.39

$3.82 R$20.75

7.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.89

$6.70 R$36.43

36.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.79

$2.23 R$12.15

21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.31

$1.54 R$8.36

11.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.32

$1.38 R$7.50

10.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$9.04

$1.84 R$10.00

-9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.19

$1.12 R$6.12

1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.41

$1.15 R$6.26

-13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.52

$0.75 R$4.10

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.26

$0.62 R$3.40

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$15.20

$3.36 R$18.25

-16.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$40.69

$8.46 R$46.04

-11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.93

$1.41 R$7.69

-22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.69

$1.56 R$8.49

49.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.87

$0.88 R$4.81

2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$288

$36.80 R$200

44.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.35

$0.92 R$4.99

27.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.24

$0.87 R$4.71

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$45.53

$8.99 R$48.91

-6.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.60

$1.23 R$6.70

-1.63%

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

$21.5K R$116.8K

$21.6K R$117.7K

-0.78%

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

$31.1K R$169.4K

$32.4K R$176.2K

-3.89%

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

$124 R$677

$112 R$608

11.43%

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

$10.03 R$54.6

$14.44 R$78.6

-30.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$114

$23.86 R$130

-12.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$154

$25.68 R$140

10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$160

$23.54 R$128

24.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$41.43

$6.41 R$34.84

18.88%

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

$563 R$3,062

$212 R$1,152

165.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$65.5K

$4,775 R$26.0K

152.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$213

$47.41 R$258

-17.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$252

$29.69 R$162

56.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$372

$56.3 R$306

21.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$345

$63.9 R$348

-0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,222

$747 R$4,064

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,574

$299 R$1,625

58.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,566

$1,121 R$6,100

24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$4,020

$451 R$2,454

63.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.5K

$1,543 R$8,391

119.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,541

$1,257 R$6,840

24.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,247

$491 R$2,669

21.66%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manaus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Manaus

$299 32.1% 36.9% $175

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Manaus

$188 20.2% 6.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Manaus

$150 16.1% 3.5% $5.4

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Manaus

$121 13% 19% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Manaus

$89 9.5% 9.2% $9

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Manaus

$46 4.9% 26.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Manaus

$38 4.1% 11.7% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $747 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 22% 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: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $26 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $188 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Manaus

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,063,689

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Manaus 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Manaus

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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $747 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $26 versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.