Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Passos Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Passos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $829 in Passos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,348 in Passos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,868 in Passos.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 16% more expensive than Passos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Passos 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$7.40 R$38.11

-2.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$32.82 R$169

8.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.96 R$35.85

-7.47%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.81 R$9.33

8.84%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.22 R$6.30

4.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.82 R$4.22

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.78 R$9.15

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.85 R$14.68

-5.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$1.01 R$5.18

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.75 R$9.00

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.19 R$6.13

18.49%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$2.33 R$11.98

-14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$9.92 R$51.1

-18.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$4.16 R$21.45

-12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$8.43 R$43.44

-2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.17 R$11.18

10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.66 R$8.56

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.39 R$7.15

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.65 R$8.50

-5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.41 R$7.26

-7.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.39 R$7.18

-20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.93 R$4.81

-26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.67 R$3.45

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$1.84 R$9.47

5.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$8.28 R$42.63

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.37 R$7.05

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$2.09 R$10.76

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.87 R$4.49

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$37.80 R$195

3.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.16 R$5.97

-4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.58 R$2.97

22.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$7.71 R$39.70

-4.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.08 R$5.54

-0.93%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$22.8K R$117.6K

-10.86%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$27.9K R$144.0K

-3.06%

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

$104 R$535

$51.9 R$268

99.90%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$16.03 R$82.6

-24.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$21.93 R$113

-14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.28 R$115

15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.95 R$113

11.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$7.23 R$37.26

-8.71%

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

$542 R$2,791

$333 R$1,716

62.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$8,958 R$46.1K

31.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$55.3 R$285

-19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$57.4 R$296

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$75.0 R$386

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$77.0 R$396

-19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$315 R$1,624

39.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$220 R$1,135

50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$578 R$2,978

45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$428 R$2,206

32.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,599 R$8,235

109.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,071 R$5,518

29.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

$409 R$2,107

34.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.17

1.43%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Passos: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $315 in Passos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 34% 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: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $33.00 in Passos. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $198, 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 Passos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Passos differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($960 vs $829 including rent). Passos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rio de Janeiro pays 34% more on average, 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $315 in Passos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Passos – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $829 in Passos versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Passos but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Passos 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 Passos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.