Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
Learn more

Manta Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $678 in Manta.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,157 in Manta.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,636 in Manta.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Manta $1,636

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 90% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Manta 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$2.96 $2.96

239.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$52.2 $52.2

-22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$5.39 $5.39

58.63%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.92 $2.92

-18.49%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.52 $0.52

209.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.38 $0.38

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.97 $2.97

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.72 $3.72

-0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.03 $1.03

15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.91 $1.91

7.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$0.98 $0.98

30.61%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.13 $2.13

7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$2.98 $2.98

261.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$2.98 $2.98

47.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$6.83 $6.83

44.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$0.97 $0.97

189.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$0.78 $0.78

128.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$0.71 $0.71

125.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.78 $0.78

130.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.52 $0.52

134.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.48 $0.48

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.69 $0.69

11.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.99 $0.99

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$4.08 $4.08

-26.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$6.89 $6.89

17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.03 $1.03

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.20 $2.20

14.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.50 $0.50

98.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.70 $1.70

-28.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.74 $1.74

-47.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$9.27 $9.27

-3.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.72 $0.72

80.56%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$20.7K $20.7K

15.53%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$30.8K $30.8K

6.70%

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

$133 R$676

$97.1 $97.1

37.34%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$11.13 $11.13

-2.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$25.84 $25.84

-11.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$20.23 $20.23

52.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$34.58 $34.58

-7.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$4.89 $4.89

64.62%

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

$598 R$3,029

$369 $369

61.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,783 $5,783

132.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$55.2 $55.2

-23.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$40.87 $40.87

21.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$101 $101

-26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$61.8 $61.8

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$303 $303

197.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$141 $141

274.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$917 $917

44.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$334 $334

126.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$474 $474

35.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.05

18.71%

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 Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Manta

$141 20.9% 73.3% $388

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Manta

$143 21.1% 33.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Manta

$134 19.8% 19.8% $33

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Manta

$101 14.9% 38.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Manta

$116 17.2% 10.1% $11

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 79.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Manta

$30 4.4% 36% $17

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 $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 35% 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 $52.0 in Manta. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $143, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

217,553

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Manta 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.