Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Patos de Minas

For one person, living is cheaper in Patos de Minas: $875 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Patos de Minas
Learn more

Patos de Minas Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Patos de Minas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$875

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Patos de Minas

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 Patos de Minas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $875 in Patos de Minas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Patos de Minas $875

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,393 in Patos de Minas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Patos de Minas $1,393

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,911 in Patos de Minas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Patos de Minas $1,911

Rio de Janeiro costs about 46% more than Patos de Minas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Patos de Minas are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Patos de Minas 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$5.92 R$30.01

58.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$31.74 R$161

26.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$7.64 R$38.72

9.16%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$2.03 R$10.28

12.81%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.30 R$6.57

22.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.76 R$3.86

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$1.98 R$10.05

8.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$3.09 R$15.68

18.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.06 R$5.38

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.65 R$8.38

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.29 R$6.54

-3.10%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.27 R$11.50

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$9.19 R$46.61

18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$4.36 R$22.08

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$8.68 R$44.00

10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$2.16 R$10.93

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.27 R$6.42

42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.18 R$5.97

33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.57 R$7.97

16.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.27 R$6.41

-5.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.13 R$5.72

-6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.78 R$3.94

-3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.81 R$4.11

-16.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.48 R$12.57

18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$8.18 R$41.46

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.35 R$6.83

-12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.07 R$10.51

16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.04 R$5.29

-9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$43.23 R$219

16.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.27 R$6.45

-5.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.85 R$4.32

-2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$8.28 R$41.98

8.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.28 R$6.47

0.78%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$23.5K R$119.1K

-3.10%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$32.5K R$164.9K

4.40%

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

$134 R$681

$75.4 R$382

78.12%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$12.30 R$62.3

-12.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$21.57 R$109

5.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$25.57 R$130

17.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$27.23 R$138

15.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$7.37 R$37.35

4.88%

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

$584 R$2,960

$280 R$1,420

108.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$7,243 R$36.7K

76.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$56.9 R$289

-27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$50.9 R$258

-3.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$88.5 R$449

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$71.9 R$364

-8.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$362 R$1,836

148.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$239 R$1,209

121.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$681 R$3,452

95.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$468 R$2,370

59.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,743 R$8,834

128.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,210 R$6,131

28.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$406 R$2,060

57.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.45%

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 Patos de Minas: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Patos de Minas

$239 27.3% 54.8% $289

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Patos de Minas

$194 22.2% 9.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Patos de Minas

$109 12.5% 34.9% $59

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Patos de Minas

$119 13.6% 23.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Patos de Minas

$121 13.8% 16.6% $17

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Patos de Minas

$53 6.1% 10.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Patos de Minas

$40 4.6% 11.6% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $362 in Patos de Minas. 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 58% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $32.00 in Patos de Minas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $194 – making Patos de Minas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Patos de Minas

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

159,235

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Patos de Minas 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Patos de Minas

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 Patos de Minas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, $875 in Patos de Minas – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,312 in Patos de Minas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 16% less in Patos de Minas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $584 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $280 in Patos de Minas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Patos de Minas, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Patos de Minas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro 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 $875 in Patos de Minas to $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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