Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Marathon

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,218 in Marathon, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Marathon
Learn more

Marathon Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Marathon

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,218 in Marathon, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Marathon $2,218

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,213 in Marathon, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Marathon $3,213

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,209 in Marathon, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Marathon $4,209

Rio de Janeiro is about 43% cheaper than Marathon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 6% below the global median, while Marathon is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$17.17 CA$24.27

-45.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$66.1 CA$93.4

-39.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$10.61 CA$15.00

-21.39%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$3.65 CA$5.16

-37.26%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.93 CA$2.72

-17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.60 CA$2.26

-36.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$5.13 CA$7.25

-58.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$5.57 CA$7.88

-34.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.99 CA$2.81

-43.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.52 CA$3.56

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$3.27 CA$4.62

-61.77%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$3.42 CA$4.83

-34.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$10.04 CA$14.19

8.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$11.16 CA$15.78

-60.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$14.71 CA$20.80

-34.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$3.85 CA$5.44

-25.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.29 CA$1.82

40.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$3.69 CA$5.21

-57.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$3.77 CA$5.32

-51.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.48 CA$3.51

-51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$2.13 CA$3.01

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$2.44 CA$3.45

-69.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$1.55 CA$2.19

-56.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$14.15 CA$20.01

-79.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$12.51 CA$17.68

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$2.55 CA$3.60

-53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$3.01 CA$4.25

-19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$2.32 CA$3.28

-59.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$62.1 CA$87.8

-18.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.95 CA$4.18

-59.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.41 CA$1.99

-41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$23.24 CA$32.86

-61.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.13 CA$1.60

14.16%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-17.51%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$19.1K CA$27.0K

77.69%

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

$134 R$681

$132 CA$187

1.77%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$38.75 CA$54.8

-72.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$54.5 CA$77.1

-58.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$39.87 CA$56.4

-24.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$17.63 CA$24.92

78.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$11.17 CA$15.79

-30.80%

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

$584 R$2,960

$760 CA$1,074

-23.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$12.8K CA$18.0K

0.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$53.5 CA$75.6

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$37.54 CA$53.1

31.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$84.0 CA$119

-12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$103 CA$145

-35.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$1,241 CA$1,754

-27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$1,114 CA$1,575

-52.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$1,930 CA$2,728

-30.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$1,701 CA$2,405

-56.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$4,211 CA$5,953

-5.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$3,537 CA$5,000

-55.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$1,720 CA$2,431

-62.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.66

156.01%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Marathon: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Marathon

$1.1K 50.2% 111% $587

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Marathon

$346 15.6% 62% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Marathon

$225 10.2% 34.2% $57

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Marathon

$264 11.9% 69.2% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Marathon

$125 5.6% 20.7% $21

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Marathon

$81 3.7% 36.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Marathon

$62 2.8% 36.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,241 in Marathon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 169% higher in Marathon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $66.0 in Marathon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $346 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Marathon

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

3,300

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Marathon 9,040 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Marathon

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 Marathon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marathon is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,326 in Marathon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $584 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $760 in Marathon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Marathon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Marathon at $2,218. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marathon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marathon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.