Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Nova Iguacu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $736 in Nova Iguacu.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Nova Iguacu $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,212 in Nova Iguacu.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Nova Iguacu $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,687 in Nova Iguacu.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Nova Iguacu $1,687

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 73% more expensive than in Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Nova Iguacu 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$3.54 R$17.92

164.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$30.13 R$153

32.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$7.87 R$39.92

5.97%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.89 R$9.59

21.16%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.20 R$6.11

32.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.58 R$2.94

74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$1.68 R$8.50

27.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$1.61 R$8.15

127.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.23 R$6.25

-8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.62 R$8.19

29.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.13 R$5.71

10.62%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$1.97 R$9.96

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$8.24 R$41.75

32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$2.82 R$14.31

54.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$7.08 R$35.90

35.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$1.37 R$6.95

108.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.41 R$7.15

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$0.95 R$4.82

66.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.74 R$8.84

5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.02 R$5.19

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.03 R$5.22

2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.41 R$2.08

82.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.42 R$2.13

61.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$1.82 R$9.25

61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$5.80 R$29.41

37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$0.97 R$4.92

21.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.37 R$6.94

76.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.48 R$7.51

-36.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$50.1 R$254

0.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.33 R$6.77

-9.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.38 R$6.98

-39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$9.26 R$46.94

-3.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.18 R$5.96

9.32%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$23.8K R$120.8K

-4.45%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

-0.00%

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

$134 R$681

$42.49 R$215

216.12%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$11.82 R$59.9

-9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$17.90 R$90.7

27.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$23.75 R$120

26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$39.25 R$199

-19.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$6.08 R$30.80

27.14%

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

$584 R$2,960

$73.3 R$371

696.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$1,935 R$9,808

561.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$54.2 R$275

-24.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$37.22 R$189

32.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$65.2 R$331

12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$58.4 R$296

12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$321 R$1,627

180.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$214 R$1,086

146.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$654 R$3,318

103.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$444 R$2,250

68.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$972 R$4,926

310.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$244 R$1,238

162.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.12

7.28%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Nova Iguacu

$214 29.1% 59.4% $313

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Nova Iguacu

$160 21.7% 25.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Nova Iguacu

$72 9.8% 57% $96

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Nova Iguacu

$93 12.7% 40.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Nova Iguacu

$97 13.1% 6.5% $6.7

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Nova Iguacu

$64 8.7% 8% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Nova Iguacu

$36 4.9% 21.3% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 162% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $30.00 in Nova Iguacu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $160 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

785,867

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio de Janeiro vs Nova Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Nova Iguacu differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $736 including rent). Nova Iguacu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $736 in Nova Iguacu – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nova Iguacu runs roughly 1% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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.

Expats usually find Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.