Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $848 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Montes Claros
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Montes Claros Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Montes Claros

🇧🇷 Brazil

$848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Montes Claros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $848 in Montes Claros.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Montes Claros $848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,358 in Montes Claros.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Montes Claros $1,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,869 in Montes Claros.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Montes Claros $1,869

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 39% more expensive than in Montes Claros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Montes Claros 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.58

$3.53 R$18.86

157.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$31.55 R$169

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.91

$7.63 R$40.81

5.11%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.72

$2.04 R$10.90

7.35%

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

$1.46 R$7.83

$1.32 R$7.08

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.28

$0.76 R$4.04

30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.85

$1.48 R$7.90

37.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.45

$3.02 R$16.16

14.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.67

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.62

$1.64 R$8.76

20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.28

$1.22 R$6.52

-4.10%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.81

$2.15 R$11.50

2.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$9.19 R$49.16

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.02

$4.30 R$23.02

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.08

$8.76 R$46.87

4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.55

$2.26 R$12.11

20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.32 R$7.09

29.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.19

$1.13 R$6.03

35.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$1.56 R$8.35

6.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$1.24 R$6.63

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$1.11 R$5.94

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$0.80 R$4.26

-18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$0.82 R$4.40

-26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.96

$2.50 R$13.37

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$40.03

$7.81 R$41.80

-4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.84

$1.33 R$7.13

-18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.49

$2.12 R$11.34

9.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$0.80 R$4.26

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$284

$44.22 R$237

19.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.26 R$6.77

-7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.18

$0.86 R$4.58

-9.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.79

$8.11 R$43.39

3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.49

$1.03 R$5.53

17.48%

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

$21.5K R$114.9K

$23.2K R$124.4K

-7.64%

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

$31.1K R$166.6K

$33.2K R$177.4K

-6.11%

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

$124 R$666

$77.3 R$414

60.97%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$12.20 R$65.3

-17.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$19.67 R$105

6.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$25.42 R$136

11.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$27.14 R$145

8.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.75

$7.56 R$40.48

0.79%

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

$563 R$3,012

$275 R$1,474

104.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.5K

$7,047 R$37.7K

70.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$54.7 R$293

-28.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$50.2 R$268

-7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$90.4 R$484

-24.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$71.5 R$383

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,153

$358 R$1,918

116.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,532

$235 R$1,257

101.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,443

$668 R$3,574

108.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,954

$477 R$2,552

54.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.2K

$1,706 R$9,128

98.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,403

$1,181 R$6,319

32.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,194

$419 R$2,243

42.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.45%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Montes Claros

$235 27.7% 50.4% $238

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Montes Claros

$193 22.8% 4% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Montes Claros

$109 12.9% 29.7% $46

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Montes Claros

$97 11.5% 35.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Montes Claros

$120 14.2% 22.7% $22

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Montes Claros

$53 6.3% 14.1% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Montes Claros

$41 4.8% 7% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $358 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $32 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $193 per month, with Montes Claros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Montes Claros

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

414,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Montes Claros 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Montes Claros differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,182 vs $848 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $358 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 17% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $563 in Rio de Janeiro versus $275 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.