Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Moncton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,185 a month against $2,088 in Moncton, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Moncton, Canada
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,185
/mo nomad
Moncton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,088
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,088 in Moncton, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,185
  • Moncton $2,088

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,123 in Moncton, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,737
  • Moncton $3,123

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,158 in Moncton, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,289
  • Moncton $4,158

Rio de Janeiro is about 43% cheaper than Moncton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 12% below the global median, while Moncton is 54% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.16 R$44.89
$19.08 CA$26.83
-57.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.20 R$205
$68.3 CA$96.0
-45.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 R$41.40
$10.57 CA$14.86
-28.86%
Cappuccino
$2.10 R$11.58
$3.52 CA$4.95
-40.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 R$7.49
$2.06 CA$2.90
-33.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 R$5.29
$1.95 CA$2.75
-50.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.98 R$10.88
$4.38 CA$6.16
-54.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 R$17.94
$5.63 CA$7.92
-42.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 R$5.97
$3.07 CA$4.32
-64.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 R$10.27
$2.76 CA$3.88
-32.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 R$6.19
$3.38 CA$4.75
-66.86%
Eggs
$2.20 R$12.12
$3.72 CA$5.23
-40.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.91 R$54.6
$13.34 CA$18.76
-25.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.11 R$22.62
$17.83 CA$25.08
-76.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.25 R$50.9
$13.55 CA$19.05
-31.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.59 R$14.26
$5.56 CA$7.81
-53.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 R$9.28
$1.59 CA$2.24
6.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.47 R$8.08
$4.84 CA$6.80
-69.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.72 R$9.45
$5.78 CA$8.13
-70.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.36
$2.08 CA$2.93
-44.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 R$5.50
$2.23 CA$3.13
-55.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 R$3.61
$2.54 CA$3.57
-74.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 R$3.35
$2.13 CA$3.00
-71.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.69 R$14.81
$14.40 CA$20.25
-81.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.20 R$39.64
$14.04 CA$19.75
-48.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 R$5.90
$3.27 CA$4.60
-67.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 R$12.32
$3.98 CA$5.60
-43.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 R$4.82
$2.18 CA$3.07
-59.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.3 R$288
$52.1 CA$73.3
0.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 R$6.49
$2.83 CA$3.99
-58.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.68 R$3.72
$1.39 CA$1.95
-51.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.71 R$47.94
$21.72 CA$30.55
-59.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 R$6.59
$1.34 CA$1.89
-10.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K R$120.4K
$26.4K CA$37.1K
-17.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.0K R$170.7K
$21.4K CA$30.1K
44.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 R$691
$124 CA$175
1.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.14 R$55.8
$42.71 CA$60.1
-76.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.95 R$115
$64.2 CA$90.2
-67.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.51 R$157
$44.27 CA$62.3
-35.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.87 R$159
$11.64 CA$16.38
148.02%
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 R$40.75
$13.10 CA$18.42
-43.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 R$2,955
$374 CA$527
43.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K R$87.4K
$13.0K CA$18.3K
22.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.68 R$213
$60.1 CA$84.5
-35.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.06 R$248
$35.12 CA$49.39
28.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.6 R$378
$104 CA$147
-34.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.1 R$353
$119 CA$168
-46.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$768 R$4,225
$1,103 CA$1,551
-30.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 R$2,701
$856 CA$1,204
-42.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,458 R$8,026
$1,721 CA$2,420
-15.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$743 R$4,088
$1,355 CA$1,905
-45.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,325 R$18.3K
$2,249 CA$3,163
47.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,552 R$8,542
$2,073 CA$2,915
-25.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Moncton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$674 R$3,708
$2,564 CA$3,606
-73.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
4.6
159.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Moncton: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$491
Moncton
$856 74.5% $365
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$198
Moncton
$441 123% $243
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$157
Moncton
$231 47.4% $74
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$139
Moncton
$276 98.8% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$97
Moncton
$143 47.3% $46
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Moncton
$71 17% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$43
Moncton
$70 62.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,103 in Moncton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moncton are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $68 in Moncton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $441 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇨🇦 Moncton
🕒 Local time
09:52 9:52 AM
08:52 8:52 AM
1 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
80,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Moncton 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Moncton

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 Moncton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rio de Janeiro and in Moncton compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, $2,088 in Moncton – Rio de Janeiro comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Rio de Janeiro compared to Moncton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,133 in Moncton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Rio de Janeiro and Moncton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $768 there versus $1,103 in Moncton.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rio de Janeiro or Moncton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,088 in Moncton. That makes Rio de Janeiro about 43% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rio de Janeiro and Moncton?
Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $374 in Moncton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,185, than in Moncton at $2,088. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moncton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Rio de Janeiro and Moncton?
It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,088 in Moncton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Rio de Janeiro and Moncton?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moncton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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