Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Masaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Masaya: $824 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Masaya
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Masaya Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Masaya

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $824 in Masaya, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Masaya $824

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,287 in Masaya, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Masaya $1,287

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,749 in Masaya, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Masaya $1,749

Rio de Janeiro costs about 56% more than Masaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Masaya are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Masaya 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$10.03 NIO 367

0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$34.86 NIO 1,277

16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$7.83 NIO 287

9.20%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.55 NIO 93.6

-6.67%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.91 NIO 33.39

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.70 NIO 25.47

47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.46 NIO 53.5

69.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$2.24 NIO 81.9

65.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.27 NIO 46.37

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.33 NIO 85.4

-12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.86 NIO 68.2

-31.18%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.38 NIO 87.2

-3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$11.41 NIO 418

-5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$6.49 NIO 238

-32.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$7.57 NIO 277

29.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$3.93 NIO 144

-28.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$0.61 NIO 22.40

191.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$1.84 NIO 67.3

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$2.53 NIO 92.6

-28.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$4.04 NIO 148

-69.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$2.27 NIO 83.3

-54.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.06 NIO 38.71

-27.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.01 NIO 37.06

-33.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$2.80 NIO 103

7.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$14.46 NIO 530

-44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.47 NIO 53.9

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.23 NIO 81.8

12.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.67 NIO 61.2

-26.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.62 NIO 59.2

-43.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$6.92 NIO 254

29.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.31 NIO 47.98

-0.76%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$23.3K NIO 855.0K

2.28%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$26.8K NIO 980.3K

22.78%

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

$133 R$676

$154 NIO 5,651

-13.55%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$19.49 NIO 714

-44.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$32.65 NIO 1,196

-29.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$8.99 NIO 329

-10.46%

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

$598 R$3,029

$232 NIO 8,481

158.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,944 NIO 217.7K

125.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$59.8 NIO 2,189

-29.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$64.6 NIO 2,364

-23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$124 NIO 4,553

-40.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$147 NIO 5,367

-53.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.92

0.08%

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 Masaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Masaya

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Masaya

$259 31.5% 20.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Masaya

$206 25.1% 23.5% $39

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Masaya

$153 18.5% 7.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Masaya

$178 21.6% 68.2% $72

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Masaya

$9.8 * 1.2% 83.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Masaya

$18 * 2.2% 61.7% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $35.00 in Masaya. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $259 in Masaya – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇳🇮 Masaya

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

178,835

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, 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).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Masaya 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Masaya

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 Masaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,236 in Masaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $35.00 in Masaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Masaya, where all-in costs run around $824, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Masaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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