Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,388 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
Learn more

Ottawa Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Ottawa

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,388 in Ottawa, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Ottawa $2,388

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,474 in Ottawa, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Ottawa $3,474

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,559 in Ottawa, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Ottawa $4,559

Rio de Janeiro is about 46% cheaper than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Ottawa is 78% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$18.59 CA$26.49

-46.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$77.0 CA$110

-47.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$10.60 CA$15.12

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.94 CA$5.61

-40.10%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.01 CA$2.87

-18.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.78 CA$2.53

-43.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$5.57 CA$7.94

-56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$6.19 CA$8.82

-40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$2.29 CA$3.27

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$3.10 CA$4.42

-33.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$3.21 CA$4.57

-59.81%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.47 CA$4.95

-34.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$10.47 CA$14.93

5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$11.17 CA$15.91

-61.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$17.68 CA$25.20

-44.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$3.76 CA$5.36

-24.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.38 CA$1.97

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$3.77 CA$5.37

-57.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$3.54 CA$5.05

-49.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.65 CA$3.78

-52.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.41 CA$3.44

-55.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.63 CA$3.76

-71.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.59 CA$2.27

-58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$14.49 CA$20.65

-78.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$11.80 CA$16.82

-30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.61 CA$3.72

-54.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.29 CA$4.69

-27.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.77 CA$3.94

-63.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$93.9 CA$134

-46.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.72 CA$3.88

-53.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.51 CA$2.15

-40.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$19.16 CA$27.31

-50.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.20 CA$1.71

10.83%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.8K CA$39.7K

-15.80%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$21.1K CA$30.0K

59.39%

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

$134 R$666

$136 CA$194

-1.92%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$36.63 CA$52.2

-66.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$50.4 CA$71.8

-55.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$45.79 CA$65.3

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$27.77 CA$39.59

11.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$12.82 CA$18.28

-35.80%

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

$603 R$3,011

$913 CA$1,301

-33.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$16.1K CA$23.0K

-17.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$61.2 CA$87.3

-32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$38.63 CA$55.1

29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$106 CA$151

-29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$97.6 CA$139

-30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,490 CA$2,124

-39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,206 CA$1,719

-56.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$2,204 CA$3,141

-38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,836 CA$2,617

-57.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$4,287 CA$6,111

-7.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$4,457 CA$6,353

-64.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$3,712 CA$5,292

-82.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.14

188.16%

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 Ottawa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2% 129% $678

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Ottawa

$366 15.3% 70.8% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Ottawa

$223 9.3% 32.5% $55

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Ottawa

$283 11.8% 72.8% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Ottawa

$137 5.7% 29.2% $31

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Ottawa

$115 4.8% 92.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Ottawa

$71 3% 48.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,490 in Ottawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 477% higher in Ottawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $77.0 in Ottawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $366 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

1,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Ottawa 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Ottawa

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 Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, $2,388 in Ottawa – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,582 in Ottawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,388 in Ottawa. That's a gap of about 86%.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Ottawa at $2,388. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,388 in Ottawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ottawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.