Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Porto Velho Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Porto Velho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in Rio de Janeiro versus $768 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,230 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,692 in Porto Velho.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 24% more expensive than in Porto Velho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Porto Velho 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 R$36.15

$4.59 R$23.29

55.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.19 R$184

$25.75 R$131

40.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 R$31.75

$5.98 R$30.34

4.68%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.03

$1.61 R$8.17

22.98%

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

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.15 R$5.83

11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.39

$0.36 R$1.85

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.96

$1.82 R$9.25

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R$14.02

$2.73 R$13.87

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.01 R$5.12

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 R$8.72

$1.47 R$7.44

17.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.49

$1.18 R$5.98

25.42%

Eggs

$1.97 R$9.97

$2.02 R$10.25

-2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 R$40.28

$8.26 R$41.92

-3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 R$17.88

$3.59 R$18.24

-1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 R$41.05

$7.06 R$35.85

14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 R$11.90

$2.13 R$10.83

10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.25

$1.25 R$6.34

29.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.65

$1.14 R$5.79

32.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.57

$1.44 R$7.31

3.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.62

$1.19 R$6.04

10.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.60

$1.06 R$5.38

3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.43

$0.71 R$3.59

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.62 R$3.15

-8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 R$10.15

$2.17 R$11.03

-7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 R$39.48

$7.36 R$37.36

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.19

$1.20 R$6.11

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.56

$1.99 R$10.08

4.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.24

$0.86 R$4.37

43.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.62 R$196

$39.05 R$198

-1.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.52

$1.11 R$5.64

-1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.56

$0.75 R$3.79

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R$39.44

$6.37 R$32.32

21.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.09 R$5.53

0.92%

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

$20.4K R$103.6K

$20.8K R$105.7K

-2.04%

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

$27.6K R$140.3K

$27.7K R$140.4K

-0.08%

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

$102 R$519

$59.4 R$302

71.95%

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

$11.98 R$60.8

$13.39 R$67.9

-10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.16 R$97.2

$18.91 R$96.0

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.19 R$133

$22.81 R$116

14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.86 R$121

$21.20 R$108

12.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 R$32.70

$6.28 R$31.85

2.55%

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

$546 R$2,772

$273 R$1,384

100.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K R$59.1K

$6,597 R$33.5K

76.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.00 R$233

$49.46 R$251

-7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.47 R$210

$42.67 R$217

-2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 R$388

$75.9 R$385

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.5 R$307

$64.4 R$327

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R$2,227

$321 R$1,629

36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 R$1,657

$213 R$1,083

53.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 R$4,386

$589 R$2,989

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 R$2,928

$434 R$2,203

32.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 R$19.1K

$1,669 R$8,469

125.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 R$7,386

$1,221 R$6,196

19.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 R$3,062

$409 R$2,078

47.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 20, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Rio de Janeiro and $321 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 47% 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 $26.00 in Porto Velho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $172 per month, with Porto Velho cheaper across the board.

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 Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Velho wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Porto Velho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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: $439 in Rio de Janeiro versus $321 in Porto Velho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Porto Velho – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $953 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $768 in Porto Velho – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Porto Velho gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Porto Velho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $768 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Porto Velho hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Porto Velho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.