Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Merida

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $814 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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 Merida
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Merida Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Merida

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $814 in Merida, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Merida $814

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,418 in Merida, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Merida $1,418

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,021 in Merida, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Merida $2,021

Rio de Janeiro costs about 58% more than Merida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Merida are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Merida 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$11.90 VES 10.4K

-15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$60.9 VES 53.4K

-33.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$10.82 VES 9,500

-20.98%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.54 VES 2,226

-6.30%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$2.13 VES 1,867

-24.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.36 VES 1,195

-24.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.97 VES 1,727

25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.01 VES 2,644

22.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.04 VES 1,788

-41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$3.32 VES 2,913

-38.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.00 VES 1,759

-36.00%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.51 VES 2,201

-8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.79 VES 5,965

58.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$7.87 VES 6,912

-43.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$7.31 VES 6,421

34.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$5.11 VES 4,488

-45.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.44 VES 1,267

23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$2.76 VES 2,426

-42.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$2.36 VES 2,070

-23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.98 VES 1,735

-38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.36 VES 1,194

-23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.49 VES 1,307

-48.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$2.53 VES 2,217

-73.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$3.71 VES 3,258

-18.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$11.18 VES 9,812

-27.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.40 VES 1,233

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.21 VES 1,944

13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.29 VES 253

241.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.95 VES 3,469

-69.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.48 VES 1,300

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$5.86 VES 5,144

53.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.72 VES 629

80.56%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$45.7K VES 40.1M

-47.78%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$50.5K VES 44.3M

-34.92%

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

$133 R$676

$12.37 VES 10.9K

978.42%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$10.13 VES 8,894

6.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$29.49 VES 25.9K

-22.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$29.41 VES 25.8K

4.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$14.79 VES 13.0K

115.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$4.93 VES 4,325

63.29%

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

$598 R$3,029

$88.5 VES 77.7K

575.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$2,399 VES 2.1M

459.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$72.6 VES 63.7K

-42.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$42.37 VES 37.2K

17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$97.4 VES 85.5K

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$98.3 VES 86.3K

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$132 VES 116.2K

582.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$93.6 VES 82.1K

465.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$224 VES 196.9K

491.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$193 VES 169.8K

290.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,184 VES 1.0M

238.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$1,211 VES 1.1M

28.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$290 VES 254.9K

120.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-52.28%

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 Merida: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Merida

$94 11.5% 82.3% $436

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Merida

$289 35.5% 34.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Merida

$52 6.4% 68.9% $115

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Merida

$188 23.1% 13.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Merida

$140 17.2% 32.2% $34

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Merida

$13 * 1.5% 79.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Merida

$39 4.8% 16.3% $7.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $132 in Merida. 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 120% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $61.0 in Merida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $289 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇪 Merida

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

250,303

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Merida 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Merida

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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 58% more than Merida, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,221 in Merida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $814 in Merida. That's a gap of about 58%.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $88.5 in Merida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Merida, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Merida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Merida costs $814 versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Merida. 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.