Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Mogi das Cruzes

For one person, living is cheaper in Mogi das Cruzes: $989 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,273
/mo nomad
Mogi das Cruzes
🇧🇷 Brazil
$989
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Mogi das Cruzes

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 Mogi das Cruzes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $989 in Mogi das Cruzes, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,273
  • Mogi das Cruzes $989

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,524 in Mogi das Cruzes, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,841
  • Mogi das Cruzes $1,524

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,058 in Mogi das Cruzes, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,409
  • Mogi das Cruzes $2,058

Rio de Janeiro costs about 29% more than Mogi das Cruzes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Mogi das Cruzes are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Mogi das Cruzes 27% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.38 R$47.54
$9.99 R$50.6
-6.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.00 R$203
$29.66 R$150
34.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.34 R$42.28
$7.91 R$40.08
5.44%
Cappuccino
$2.29 R$11.62
$1.53 R$7.76
49.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 R$8.05
$1.32 R$6.71
20.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.10
$0.90 R$4.56
12.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.14 R$10.85
$2.42 R$12.29
-11.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 R$18.55
$2.96 R$14.98
23.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 R$5.72
$1.01 R$5.13
11.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 R$10.60
$1.96 R$9.96
6.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.25 R$6.36
$1.34 R$6.78
-6.72%
Eggs
$2.25 R$11.39
$2.58 R$13.08
-12.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.92 R$55.3
$10.14 R$51.4
7.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.36 R$22.10
$4.96 R$25.16
-12.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.60 R$48.66
$9.08 R$46.04
5.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 R$14.46
$2.22 R$11.25
28.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 R$9.16
$1.42 R$7.20
27.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 R$8.02
$1.26 R$6.37
25.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.83 R$9.28
$1.37 R$6.97
33.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 R$6.10
$1.27 R$6.42
-5.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 R$5.35
$1.23 R$6.24
-13.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 R$3.81
$0.91 R$4.63
-17.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 R$3.45
$0.63 R$3.20
7.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.94 R$14.90
$2.53 R$12.82
16.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.98 R$40.43
$8.20 R$41.55
-2.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 R$5.98
$1.53 R$7.77
-22.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 R$12.26
$2.60 R$13.19
-6.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 R$4.78
$1.13 R$5.73
-16.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.3 R$255
$84.5 R$428
-40.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 R$6.10
$1.16 R$5.89
3.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.83 R$4.20
$0.72 R$3.65
15.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.97 R$45.48
$5.04 R$25.54
77.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 R$6.53
$1.28 R$6.50
0.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.8K R$115.5K
$22.8K R$115.8K
-0.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.0K R$172.1K
$33.2K R$168.5K
2.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 R$681
$66.1 R$335
103.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.73 R$54.4
$14.76 R$74.8
-27.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.84 R$116
$22.76 R$115
0.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.16 R$153
$30.35 R$154
-0.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.49 R$160
$10.76 R$54.6
192.66%
Cinema Ticket
$7.73 R$39.17
$7.80 R$39.54
-0.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$584 R$2,960
$255 R$1,293
128.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K R$64.9K
$5,936 R$30.1K
115.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.12 R$208
$39.58 R$201
3.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.26 R$250
$32.68 R$166
50.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.7 R$373
$86.6 R$439
-14.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.9 R$334
$68.9 R$349
-4.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$900 R$4,561
$390 R$1,977
130.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 R$2,673
$288 R$1,460
83.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 R$6,754
$637 R$3,229
109.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$748 R$3,790
$496 R$2,516
50.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,990 R$20.2K
$1,553 R$7,875
156.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,560 R$7,908
$1,249 R$6,333
24.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Mogi das Cruzes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$640 R$3,246
$337 R$1,711
89.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
10.81
10.36%

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 Mogi das Cruzes: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$527
Mogi das Cruzes
$288 45.4% $239
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$214
Mogi das Cruzes
$206 3.5% $7.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$168
Mogi das Cruzes
$104 38.3% $64
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$156
Mogi das Cruzes
$149 4.5% $7
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$103
Mogi das Cruzes
$103 0.9% $1
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$59
Mogi das Cruzes
$94 57.8% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$46
Mogi das Cruzes
$46 0.7% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $390 in Mogi das Cruzes. 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 90% 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 $30.00 in Mogi das Cruzes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $206 – making Mogi das Cruzes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Mogi das Cruzes
🕒 Local time
08:41 8:41 AM
08:41 8:41 AM
Same time as Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
451,505
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Mogi das Cruzes 310 km
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Mogi das Cruzes

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 Mogi das Cruzes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rio de Janeiro or Mogi das Cruzes?
Rio de Janeiro costs about 29% more than Mogi das Cruzes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rio de Janeiro and in Mogi das Cruzes?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,483 in Mogi das Cruzes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Mogi das Cruzes?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mogi das Cruzes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Rio de Janeiro compared to Mogi das Cruzes?
Public transport costs about 68% less in Mogi das Cruzes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Rio de Janeiro and in Mogi das Cruzes?
Kindergarten costs $584 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $255 in Mogi das Cruzes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Rio de Janeiro or in Mogi das Cruzes?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mogi das Cruzes, where all-in costs run around $989, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Mogi das Cruzes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Rio de Janeiro or Mogi das Cruzes?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mogi das Cruzes costs $989 versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Rio de Janeiro or to Mogi das Cruzes?
If budget matters most, go with Mogi das Cruzes. 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.

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