Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Nakhon Ratchasima Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Nakhon Ratchasima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $767 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,259 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,752 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 23% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.35

$3.04 ฿102

140.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$187

$26.96 ฿902

35.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$33.04

$6.48 ฿217

-0.31%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.72

$2.07 ฿69.2

-8.21%

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

$1.29 R$6.59

$0.59 ฿19.70

118.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.44

$0.37 ฿12.48

135.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.94

$1.87 ฿62.5

-6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.99

$2.47 ฿82.7

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.75

$1.65 ฿55.1

-32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.72

$1.30 ฿43.47

30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.62

$1.26 ฿42.14

18.25%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.96

$1.50 ฿50.1

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.81

$15.41 ฿515

-49.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.26

$3.26 ฿109

9.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$40.28

$11.26 ฿377

-30.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.43

$3.23 ฿108

-24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.35

$1.33 ฿44.64

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.50

$1.89 ฿63.4

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.92

$1.39 ฿46.62

11.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.31

$1.47 ฿49.24

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.70

$1.22 ฿40.88

-9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.52

$1.36 ฿45.36

-49.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.09

$0.38 ฿12.79

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$10.07

$3.00 ฿100

-34.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.62

$18.09 ฿605

-57.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.22

$1.75 ฿58.7

-30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.64

$2.28 ฿76.3

-8.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.34

$0.47 ฿15.83

163.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$199

$20.14 ฿674

93.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.75

$1.10 ฿36.69

1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.33

$1.29 ฿43.03

-49.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.88

$7.48 ฿250

-1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.41

$1.20 ฿40.17

-11.67%

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

$20.3K R$103.7K

$82.4K ฿2.8M

-75.41%

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

$28.1K R$143.7K

$26.9K ฿899.6K

4.43%

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

$101 R$518

$78.9 ฿2,638

28.27%

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

$12.30 R$62.9

$13.63 ฿456

-9.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.9

$18.64 ฿623

-0.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$133

$49.16 ฿1,644

-47.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$124

$15.66 ฿524

54.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.36

$4.85 ฿162

34.43%

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

$539 R$2,760

$188 ฿6,295

186.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.7K

$9,283 ฿310.5K

25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$230

$29.46 ฿985

52.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$212

$19.96 ฿668

107.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$390

$78.8 ฿2,635

-3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$315

$43.30 ฿1,448

42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,221

$217 ฿7,246

100.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,660

$161 ฿5,401

100.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,330

$507 ฿17.0K

66.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,903

$438 ฿14.6K

29.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$19.0K

$3,294 ฿110.2K

12.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,580

$1,693 ฿56.6K

-12.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,068

$605 ฿20.2K

-0.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

5.1

122.16%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $242, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($946 vs $767 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Nakhon Ratchasima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $767 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $946 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Nakhon Ratchasima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.