Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Marsh Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsh Harbour: $494 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Marsh Harbour

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$494

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Marsh Harbour

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $494 in Marsh Harbour.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Marsh Harbour $494

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $730 in Marsh Harbour.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Marsh Harbour $730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $967 in Marsh Harbour.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Marsh Harbour $967

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 161% more expensive than in Marsh Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Marsh Harbour 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.98

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.94

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

$1.61 R$8.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.61

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$8.57 BSD 8.57

-86.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.29

$5.32 BSD 5.32

-61.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$3.68 BSD 3.68

-65.22%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$7.13 BSD 7.13

-67.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$3.26 BSD 3.26

230.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.44

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.13

$7.87 BSD 7.87

-64.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.06

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$7.33 BSD 7.33

-89.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.60

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$252

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.15

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

$1.67 BSD 1.67

-22.16%

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

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

$133 R$671

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

$10.82 R$54.4

$35.46 BSD 35.46

-69.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$119 BSD 119

-80.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$78.8 BSD 78.8

-60.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.49

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

$598 R$3,004

$1,515 BSD 1,515

-60.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,539

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,661

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,667

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,799

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,843

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,215

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 10, 2026

Last update for Marsh Harbour: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Marsh Harbour

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Marsh Harbour

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Marsh Harbour

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Marsh Harbour

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Marsh Harbour

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Marsh Harbour

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Marsh Harbour

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇸 Marsh Harbour

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

5,314

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Marsh Harbour 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Marsh Harbour

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 Marsh Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marsh Harbour wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marsh Harbour the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $741 in Marsh Harbour to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $494 in Marsh Harbour – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $494 in Marsh Harbour versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Marsh Harbour but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Marsh Harbour the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Marsh Harbour delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Marsh Harbour hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Marsh Harbour 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 Marsh Harbour gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.