Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Puerto Ayora

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $751 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
Learn more

Puerto Ayora Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Puerto Ayora

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $751 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Puerto Ayora $751

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,204 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Puerto Ayora $1,204

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,656 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Puerto Ayora $1,656

Rio de Janeiro costs about 72% more than Puerto Ayora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Puerto Ayora are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Puerto Ayora 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$3.42 $3.42

194.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$30.23 $30.23

33.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$4.68 $4.68

82.69%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.68 $2.68

-11.19%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.78 $0.78

106.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.71 $0.71

45.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.05 $2.05

20.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.70 $3.70

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.04 $1.04

14.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.59 $1.59

28.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.57 $1.57

-18.47%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.12 $2.12

8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.45 $6.45

66.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$5.05 $5.05

-12.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$7.18 $7.18

37.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$1.70 $1.70

65.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.05 $1.05

69.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$1.15 $1.15

39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.08 $1.08

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.25 $1.25

-2.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.02 $1.02

1.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.71 $0.71

8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.06 $1.06

-36.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$5.31 $5.31

-43.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$8.58 $8.58

-5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.47 $1.47

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.09 $3.09

-18.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.37 $0.37

167.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$19.86 $19.86

152.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.37 $1.37

-10.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.12 $1.12

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$10.06 $10.06

-10.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.87 $0.87

49.43%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$18.4K $18.4K

29.83%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$30.8K $30.8K

6.74%

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

$133 R$676

$39.92 $39.92

234.17%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$14.84 $14.84

-27.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$27.10 $27.10

-15.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$27.95 $27.95

10.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$16.54 $16.54

92.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$5.57 $5.57

44.52%

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

$598 R$3,029

$223 $223

168.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,708 $5,708

135.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$61.4 $61.4

-31.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$47.37 $47.37

4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$112 $112

-33.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$80.1 $80.1

-14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$292 $292

209.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$185 $185

185.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$638 $638

107.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$351 $351

115.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,349 $1,349

197.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$668 $668

133.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$813 $813

-21.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.05

18.71%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Puerto Ayora: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Puerto Ayora

$185 24.7% 65% $344

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Puerto Ayora

$184 24.5% 14.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Puerto Ayora

$82 10.9% 51% $85

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Puerto Ayora

$97 12.9% 41.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Puerto Ayora

$135 18% 28.1% $30

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Puerto Ayora

$28 3.8% 52.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Puerto Ayora

$39 5.2% 16.6% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $292 in Puerto Ayora. 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 27% higher in Puerto Ayora, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $30.00 in Puerto Ayora. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $184 – making Puerto Ayora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

22:58 10:58 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

12,696

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Puerto Ayora 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Puerto Ayora

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 Puerto Ayora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, $751 in Puerto Ayora – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,127 in Puerto Ayora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 152% less in Puerto Ayora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $223 in Puerto Ayora. 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 Puerto Ayora, where all-in costs run around $751, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Puerto Ayora 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 $751 in Puerto Ayora to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Ayora. 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.