Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Marigot

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,355 in Marigot, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Marigot outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Marigot
Learn more

Marigot Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Marigot

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,355 in Marigot.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Marigot $2,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,441 in Marigot.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Marigot $4,441

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $6,527 in Marigot.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Marigot $6,527

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 45% less than in Marigot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Marigot is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

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

$1.63 R$8.13

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.49 ANG 2.67

-55.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$2,275 ANG 4,072

-60.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$2,295 ANG 4,108

-77.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$6,495 ANG 11.6K

-79.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$6,387 ANG 11.4K

-87.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$2,991 ANG 5,353

-78.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Marigot: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Marigot

$2.3K 99.2% 335% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Marigot

$18 * 0.8% 91.6% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Marigot

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Marigot

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Marigot

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Marigot

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Marigot

- * 0% 100%

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 $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,275 in Marigot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marigot pays 365% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇸🇽 Marigot

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

10:11 10:11 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

36,286

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, 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).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Marigot 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Marigot

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 Marigot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Marigot differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $2,355 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 365% lower in Marigot. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,275 in Marigot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Marigot pay roughly 1097% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,355 in Marigot – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,355 in Marigot, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Marigot. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Marigot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.