Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Manhattan, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
Learn more

Manhattan, KS Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Manhattan, KS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Manhattan, KS $2,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,271 in Manhattan, KS.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Manhattan, KS $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,292 in Manhattan, KS.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Manhattan, KS $4,292

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 43% less than in Manhattan, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Manhattan, KS is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$15.10 $15.10

-33.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$81.1 $81.1

-50.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$12.10 $12.10

-29.34%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$5.41 $5.41

-56.01%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.97 $1.97

-18.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.47 $1.47

-29.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$5.10 $5.10

-51.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$9.19 $9.19

-59.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.88 $0.88

35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$3.25 $3.25

-36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$6.28 $6.28

-79.62%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$4.48 $4.48

-48.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$11.77 $11.77

-8.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$8.70 $8.70

-49.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$14.68 $14.68

-32.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$6.79 $6.79

-58.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$2.17 $2.17

-17.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$5.79 $5.79

-72.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$4.29 $4.29

-58.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$3.37 $3.37

-63.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$3.77 $3.77

-72.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.84 $1.84

-58.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$2.66 $2.66

-74.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$9.57 $9.57

-68.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$17.24 $17.24

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.71 $1.71

-30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.54 $2.54

-1.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$60.8 $60.8

-17.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$4.88 $4.88

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.91 $1.91

-51.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$34.39 $34.39

-73.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.92 $0.92

41.30%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$35.4K $35.4K

-32.50%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

28.44%

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

$133 R$676

$144 $144

-7.66%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$47.66 $47.66

-77.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$66.2 $66.2

-65.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$74.5 $74.5

-58.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$14.85 $14.85

-45.79%

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

$598 R$3,029

$833 $833

-28.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$11.4K $11.4K

17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$48.15 $48.15

-12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$34.94 $34.94

42.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$89.5 $89.5

-16.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$115 $115

-40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$927 $927

-2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$998 $998

-46.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,457 $1,457

-8.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$1,452 $1,452

-47.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,366 $1,366

193.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$1,400 $1,400

11.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$3,433 $3,433

-81.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.33

88.47%

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 Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4% 88.6% $469

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Manhattan, KS

$404 18% 88.2% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5% 54.6% $91

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4% 69.5% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8% 22.5% $24

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4% 25.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6% 122% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $927 in Manhattan, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays 437% 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 $81.0 in Manhattan, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $404 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

1,694,251

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Manhattan, KS 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Manhattan, KS

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 Manhattan, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 437% lower in Manhattan, KS. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $927 in Manhattan, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $833 in Manhattan, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Manhattan, KS are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Manhattan, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.