Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Perth Amboy, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Perth Amboy, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Perth Amboy, NJ

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 Perth Amboy, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Perth Amboy, NJ $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,774 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Perth Amboy, NJ $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,865 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Perth Amboy, NJ $4,865

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 53% less than in Perth Amboy, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Perth Amboy, NJ is 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$19.32 $19.32

-51.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$78.5 $78.5

-49.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$13.14 $13.14

-36.53%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$6.28 $6.28

-63.54%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.52 $2.52

-36.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.51 $1.51

-33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$8.90 $8.90

-75.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$7.13 $7.13

-48.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.14 $1.14

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.23 $2.23

-6.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$6.16 $6.16

-79.71%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.93 $2.93

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$13.68 $13.68

-20.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$10.45 $10.45

-58.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$19.90 $19.90

-51.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$5.96 $5.96

-52.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$3.51 $3.51

-48.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$4.33 $4.33

-63.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$5.22 $5.22

-64.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.40 $1.40

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.40 $1.40

-24.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$1.46 $1.46

-48.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$2.99 $2.99

-77.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$14.80 $14.80

-80.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$12.21 $12.21

-34.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.84 $1.84

-35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$3.62 $3.62

-33.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.81 $1.81

-48.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$3.04 $3.04

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$2.11 $2.11

-60.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$42.43 $42.43

-78.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.04 $1.04

24.04%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$27.7K $27.7K

-17.83%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

33.05%

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

$134 R$681

$170 $170

-21.15%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$24.07 $24.07

-55.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$49.71 $49.71

-54.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$41.11 $41.11

-26.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$17.68 $17.68

-56.28%

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

$584 R$2,960

$2,026 $2,026

-71.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$16.2K $16.2K

-20.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$33.62 $33.62

22.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$40.44 $40.44

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$77.1 $77.1

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$96.4 $96.4

-31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$1,617 $1,617

-44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$1,480 $1,480

-64.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$2,211 $2,211

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$2,137 $2,137

-65.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$2,753 $2,753

44.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$2,425 $2,425

-35.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$3,323 $3,323

-80.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.8

75.44%

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 Perth Amboy, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$1.5K 55.1% 181% $953

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$407 15.2% 90.4% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$244 9.1% 45.4% $76

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$344 12.8% 121% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$111 4.2% 7.7% $7.9

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$21 * 0.8% 65% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$76 2.9% 67.6% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,617 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth Amboy, NJ pays 419% 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 $78.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $407 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Perth Amboy, NJ

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

48,607

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Perth Amboy, NJ 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Perth Amboy, NJ

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 Perth Amboy, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 419% lower in Perth Amboy, NJ. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,617 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,026 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $78.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Perth Amboy, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,273 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Perth Amboy, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.