Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: $815 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
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Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

🇧🇷 Brazil

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

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 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $815 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,262 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais $1,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,709 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais $1,709

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 56% more expensive than in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$4.62 R$23.40

103.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$15.98 R$81.0

150.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$7.03 R$35.64

18.63%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.78 R$9.03

28.65%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.43 R$7.26

11.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.59 R$2.99

71.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$1.16 R$5.90

84.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$2.35 R$11.91

55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.95 R$4.79

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.56 R$7.90

33.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.39 R$7.03

-10.07%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.02 R$10.26

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$9.08 R$46.03

20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$3.52 R$17.83

23.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$9.71 R$49.21

-1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$1.88 R$9.55

51.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.15 R$5.81

57.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$0.99 R$5.03

59.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.26 R$6.39

45.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$0.70 R$3.54

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$0.83 R$4.21

27.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.54 R$2.72

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.82 R$4.16

-17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$1.62 R$8.20

81.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$6.15 R$31.18

29.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$0.98 R$4.97

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.43 R$7.27

69.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.04 R$5.25

-9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$43.65 R$221

15.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.44 R$7.28

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.74 R$3.77

12.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$3.90 R$19.77

130.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.35 R$6.85

-4.44%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$12.2K R$61.8K

86.88%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$30.0K R$152.3K

13.04%

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

$134 R$681

$59.4 R$301

126.20%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$9.87 R$50.1

8.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$19.00 R$96.3

20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$26.09 R$132

15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$27.68 R$140

13.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$6.85 R$34.74

12.85%

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

$584 R$2,960

$143 R$726

307.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$1,980 R$10.0K

546.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$70.6 R$358

-41.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$82.6 R$419

-40.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$66.4 R$336

10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$48.64 R$247

35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$354 R$1,795

154.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$240 R$1,217

119.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$671 R$3,403

98.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$450 R$2,280

66.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,681 R$8,523

137.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,193 R$6,045

30.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.67

11.81%

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 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$240 29.5% 54.5% $287

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$175 21.5% 18.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$88 10.8% 47.4% $80

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$98 12% 37.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$121 14.8% 16.6% $17

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$53 6.5% 10.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

$40 4.9% 12.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $354 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $16.00 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $175 per month, with Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

74,821

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 280 km

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

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 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,222 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $354 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais runs roughly 15% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $143 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.