Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Portsmouth

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $929 in Portsmouth.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Portsmouth $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,626 in Portsmouth.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Portsmouth $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,323 in Portsmouth.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Portsmouth $2,323

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 38% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Portsmouth 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$5.50 EC$14.84

81.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$56.2 EC$152

-28.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$6.83 EC$18.44

24.16%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$2.67 EC$7.20

-11.61%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.19 EC$5.91

-25.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.87 EC$5.05

-45.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$2.53 EC$6.84

-3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$3.73 EC$10.07

-1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$2.86 EC$7.72

-59.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.23 EC$6.03

-7.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$2.01 EC$5.43

-35.82%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$6.50 EC$17.55

-65.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$2.66 EC$7.17

313.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$5.48 EC$14.80

-21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$7.21 EC$19.46

-60.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$2.57 EC$6.93

-28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$4.00 EC$10.81

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$4.14 EC$11.17

-56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.90 EC$7.84

-56.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.78 EC$7.51

-61.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.82 EC$4.91

-58.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.90 EC$5.13

-65.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$11.32 EC$30.56

-27.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.87 EC$5.06

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$2.67 EC$7.20

-10.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.75 EC$2.03

34.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$3.67 EC$9.90

-65.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$3.68 EC$9.93

-75.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$40.78 EC$110

-70.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$63.9 EC$172

-64.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$36.97 EC$99.8

-14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$11.11 EC$30.01

-25.92%

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$55.9 EC$151

-25.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$23.90 EC$64.5

108.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$56.0 EC$151

33.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$65.9 EC$178

3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$258 EC$696

251.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$223 EC$602

136.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$670 EC$1,808

101.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$617 EC$1,667

25.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$626 EC$1,691

2.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 3% 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 $56.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $290 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

3,633

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Portsmouth 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portsmouth is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Portsmouth are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.