Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $781 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
Learn more

Maracaibo Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $781 in Maracaibo.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Maracaibo $781

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,316 in Maracaibo.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Maracaibo $1,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,851 in Maracaibo.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Maracaibo $1,851

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 64% more expensive than in Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$10.69 VES 9,348

-6.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$40.44 VES 35.4K

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$9.05 VES 7,917

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$2.68 VES 2,340

-11.94%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.15 VES 1,009

41.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.36 VES 1,188

-25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$2.30 VES 2,012

6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$2.96 VES 2,592

24.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.95 VES 1,704

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.20 VES 1,927

-5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$1.09 VES 950

18.35%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.60 VES 3,148

-36.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$6.59 VES 5,765

66.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$6.21 VES 5,434

-30.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$7.30 VES 6,387

33.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$4.64 VES 4,060

-39.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.40 VES 1,223

31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.62 VES 1,413

-1.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$1.41 VES 1,237

27.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$1.18 VES 1,036

6.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$1.78 VES 1,555

-39.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.02 VES 891

-26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$2.01 VES 1,762

-67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$2.94 VES 2,574

3.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$8.87 VES 7,759

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.08 VES 946

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.72 VES 2,379

-12.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.46 VES 403

119.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$41.91 VES 36.7K

19.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.95 VES 3,452

-67.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$2.04 VES 1,787

-55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$17.18 VES 15.0K

-45.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$0.74 VES 650

79.73%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$14.7K VES 12.9M

59.29%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$27.9K VES 24.4M

20.44%

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

$134 R$666

$63.5 VES 55.5K

110.27%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$7.43 VES 6,497

64.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$24.55 VES 21.5K

-7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$33.32 VES 29.1K

-5.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$28.43 VES 24.9K

8.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$5.10 VES 4,461

61.37%

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

$603 R$3,011

$153 VES 133.7K

294.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$7,068 VES 6.2M

87.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$27.67 VES 24.2K

50.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$32.70 VES 28.6K

52.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$61.6 VES 53.9K

21.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$58.1 VES 50.8K

17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$161 VES 140.5K

463.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$91.8 VES 80.3K

474.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$305 VES 266.7K

341.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$198 VES 173.3K

290.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$751 VES 656.9K

429.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$508 VES 444.1K

207.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$214 VES 187.2K

200.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-40.35%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Maracaibo

$92 11.7% 82.6% $436

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Maracaibo

$242 30.9% 12.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Maracaibo

$95 12.2% 43.3% $73

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Maracaibo

$172 22% 5.1% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Maracaibo

$81 10.3% 23.4% $25

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Maracaibo

$58 7.4% 3.5% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Maracaibo

$44 5.6% 9.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $161 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 200% 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 $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $242 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Maracaibo 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Maracaibo

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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 200% 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $161 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $603 in Rio de Janeiro versus $153 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $781 in Maracaibo versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maracaibo 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 Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.