Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Porto Seguro

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Seguro: $737 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Porto Seguro
Learn more

Porto Seguro Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Porto Seguro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Porto Seguro

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $737 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Porto Seguro $737

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,242 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Porto Seguro $1,242

A family of three spends $2,318 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,746 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Porto Seguro $1,746

Rio de Janeiro costs about 60% more than Porto Seguro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Porto Seguro are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Porto Seguro 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$5.52 R$29.52

64.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$18.53 R$99.1

101.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$6.64 R$35.48

20.78%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$2.10 R$11.23

4.29%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$1.10 R$5.87

32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$0.58 R$3.11

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$1.66 R$8.87

22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$2.97 R$15.87

16.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$1.29 R$6.88

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$1.39 R$7.41

42.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$1.37 R$7.32

-14.60%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$4.14 R$22.13

-46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$8.86 R$47.37

14.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$4.11 R$21.96

0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$7.80 R$41.71

17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$2.04 R$10.89

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.32 R$7.05

29.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$1.09 R$5.82

40.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$1.45 R$7.75

14.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$1.39 R$7.42

-17.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$1.13 R$6.06

-12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$0.68 R$3.65

-4.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$1.32 R$7.05

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$2.01 R$10.75

38.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$5.60 R$29.96

33.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$1.59 R$8.52

-31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$2.72 R$14.55

-14.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$1.15 R$6.14

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$42.39 R$227

25.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.24 R$6.63

-5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$0.74 R$3.97

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$6.90 R$36.91

21.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$1.29 R$6.91

-6.20%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$22.2K R$118.7K

-3.30%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$30.9K R$165.4K

0.65%

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

$124 R$665

$48.56 R$260

156.30%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$8.79 R$46.97

14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$16.06 R$85.9

30.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$22.30 R$119

27.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$28.78 R$154

1.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$6.63 R$35.45

14.93%

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

$563 R$3,010

$235 R$1,258

139.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$6,727 R$36.0K

79.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$51.4 R$275

-23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$46.88 R$251

-1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$82.0 R$439

-16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$66.0 R$353

-3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$254 R$1,358

205.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$157 R$837

202.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$538 R$2,876

158.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$441 R$2,357

67.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$1,556 R$8,322

118.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$1,137 R$6,079

38.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

$301 R$1,610

98.21%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Porto Seguro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Porto Seguro

$157 21.2% 66.9% $317

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Porto Seguro

$199 26.9% 1.2% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Porto Seguro

$73 10% 52.8% $82

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Porto Seguro

$110 15% 26.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Porto Seguro

$111 15% 13.3% $13

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Porto Seguro

$52 7.1% 15.8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Porto Seguro

$36 4.8% 18.4% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $254 in Porto Seguro. 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 98% higher in Rio de Janeiro. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $19 in Porto Seguro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $199 – making Porto Seguro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Porto Seguro

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

168,326

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Porto Seguro 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Porto Seguro

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 Porto Seguro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,106 in Porto Seguro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porto Seguro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $737 in Porto Seguro. That’s a gap of about 60%.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $235 in Porto Seguro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porto Seguro, where all-in costs run around $737, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,182. In Porto Seguro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Porto Seguro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Porto Seguro. 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.