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: $952 in Rio de Janeiro versus $769 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,280 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,792 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 24% more expensive than Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 R$37.12

$3.04 ฿99.0

141.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.43 R$184

$27.27 ฿888

33.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.74

$6.41 ฿209

-2.18%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.00

$2.01 ฿65.6

-1.49%

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

$1.27 R$6.42

$0.56 ฿18.10

126.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$0.35 ฿11.30

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.98

$1.89 ฿61.7

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$14.04

$2.50 ฿81.4

10.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$1.66 ฿54.0

-33.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.65

$1.26 ฿40.88

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.30 ฿42.48

13.85%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$1.51 ฿49.14

32.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 R$39.35

$15.38 ฿501

-49.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.35

$3.31 ฿108

9.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 R$40.88

$11.38 ฿371

-29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.67

$3.32 ฿108

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.97

$1.30 ฿42.23

20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.95 ฿63.6

-25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.67

$1.45 ฿47.37

4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.50 ฿48.87

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$1.16 ฿37.93

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$1.41 ฿45.79

-54.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.39 ฿12.58

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$2.91 ฿94.6

-32.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 R$43.22

$16.70 ฿544

-48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.16

$1.77 ฿57.5

-31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.40

$2.38 ฿77.6

-13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.31

$0.44 ฿14.27

184.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 R$198

$20.41 ฿665

92.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.09 ฿35.56

2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.37

$1.30 ฿42.20

-48.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 R$37.61

$7.88 ฿257

-5.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.66

$1.24 ฿40.51

-9.68%

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

$20.5K R$103.6K

$81.7K ฿2.7M

-74.94%

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

$27.1K R$137.0K

$27.1K ฿883.6K

-0.27%

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

$103 R$519

$79.2 ฿2,580

29.48%

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

$12.09 R$61.2

$13.96 ฿455

-13.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 R$97.1

$18.42 ฿600

4.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 R$133

$49.24 ฿1,604

-46.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 R$120

$15.53 ฿506

52.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 R$32.71

$5.01 ฿163

28.94%

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

$537 R$2,716

$182 ฿5,919

195.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.1K

$9,166 ฿298.5K

27.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 R$229

$29.64 ฿966

52.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 R$208

$19.90 ฿648

106.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$383

$79.0 ฿2,572

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 R$303

$43.49 ฿1,417

37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 R$2,225

$218 ฿7,105

101.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 R$1,645

$165 ฿5,376

96.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 R$4,341

$498 ฿16.2K

72.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,917

$430 ฿14.0K

33.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,415 R$17.3K

$3,449 ฿112.3K

-0.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 R$7,437

$1,725 ฿56.2K

-14.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 R$2,714

$628 ฿20.4K

-14.58%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Rio de Janeiro and $218 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 17% 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 $185 vs $241, 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 24% in total monthly costs ($952 vs $769 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nakhon Ratchasima earns 17% less. 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: $440 in Rio de Janeiro versus $218 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 30% 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.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Nakhon Ratchasima gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 24% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.