Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,582 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,285
/mo nomad
Mountain Home, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,582
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,582 in Mountain Home, ID.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,285
  • Mountain Home, ID $2,582

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,724 in Mountain Home, ID.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,888
  • Mountain Home, ID $3,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,867 in Mountain Home, ID.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,491
  • Mountain Home, ID $4,867

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 50% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Mountain Home, ID is 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.98 R$49.83
$20.51 $20.51
-51.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.34 R$201
$73.6 $73.6
-45.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.48 R$42.35
$9.81 $9.81
-13.56%
Cappuccino
$2.36 R$11.80
$4.69 $4.69
-49.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 R$8.13
$3.02 $3.02
-46.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.06
$2.05 $2.05
-50.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 R$12.19
$5.68 $5.68
-57.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R$18.43
$6.67 $6.67
-44.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 R$5.72
$1.00 $1.00
15.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 R$10.34
$3.44 $3.44
-39.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.29 R$6.42
$4.22 $4.22
-69.43%
Eggs
$2.27 R$11.32
$4.28 $4.28
-46.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.00 R$54.9
$12.20 $12.20
-9.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.31 R$21.51
$11.40 $11.40
-62.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.74 R$48.63
$17.22 $17.22
-43.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 R$14.12
$5.06 $5.06
-44.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 R$9.17
$1.64 $1.64
12.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$7.96
$4.26 $4.26
-62.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.00
$4.66 $4.66
-61.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.28
$2.71 $2.71
-53.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 R$5.34
$2.99 $2.99
-64.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 R$3.75
$2.12 $2.12
-64.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 R$3.29
$1.93 $1.93
-65.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.05 R$15.21
$10.20 $10.20
-70.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.18 R$40.84
$15.30 $15.30
-46.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$5.92
$1.97 $1.97
-39.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 R$11.92
$3.32 $3.32
-28.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 R$5.06
$1.97 $1.97
-48.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.2 R$250
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.33
$3.05 $3.05
-58.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R$4.51
$1.93 $1.93
-53.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.44 R$47.13
$31.82 $31.82
-70.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 R$6.65
$1.19 $1.19
11.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K R$117.0K
$41.2K $41.2K
-43.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K R$167.6K
$23.1K $23.1K
45.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 R$666
$204 $204
-34.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.23 R$61.0
$59.0 $59.0
-79.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.65 R$113
$71.2 $71.2
-68.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.56 R$158
$38.23 $38.23
-17.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.87 R$154
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.23 R$41.07
$15.66 $15.66
-47.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$603 R$3,011
$1,334 $1,334
-54.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K R$66.1K
$20.8K $20.8K
-36.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.62 R$208
$58.8 $58.8
-29.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.94 R$249
$44.99 $44.99
11.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 R$375
$92.3 $92.3
-18.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.3 R$341
$111 $111
-38.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$905 R$4,519
$1,580 $1,580
-42.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 R$2,633
$1,287 $1,287
-59.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,346 R$6,720
$2,242 $2,242
-39.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 R$3,865
$2,118 $2,118
-63.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,981 R$19.9K
$2,514 $2,514
58.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,562 R$7,798
$2,451 $2,451
-36.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$643 R$3,210
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
6.57
81.58%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$527
Mountain Home, ID
$1.3K 144% $760
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$215
Mountain Home, ID
$392 82.7% $177
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$168
Mountain Home, ID
$334 98.2% $165
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$164
Mountain Home, ID
$312 90.3% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$106
Mountain Home, ID
$138 30.7% $32
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Mountain Home, ID
$21 * 65.7% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$48
Mountain Home, ID
$70 44.8% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,580 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $74.0 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $392 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID
🕒 Local time
09:38 9:38 AM
06:38 6:38 AM
3 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
11,656
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Mountain Home, ID 10,410 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mountain Home, ID cheaper than Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro and $3,873 in Mountain Home, ID to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Rio de Janeiro and Mountain Home, ID?
Rent for a central apartment: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,580 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Rio de Janeiro and in Mountain Home, ID?
Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Mountain Home, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Rio de Janeiro and in Mountain Home, ID?
All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,582 in Mountain Home, ID – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Rio de Janeiro or in Mountain Home, ID?
At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,582 in Mountain Home, ID, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Mountain Home, ID more family-friendly?
For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mountain Home, ID, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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