Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Quebec City

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,893 in Quebec City, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
Learn more

Quebec City Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Quebec City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,893 in Quebec City.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Quebec City $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,839 in Quebec City.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Quebec City $2,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,785 in Quebec City.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Quebec City $3,785

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 32% less than in Quebec City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Quebec City is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$50.1

$21.19 CA$30.14

-52.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$202

$64.1 CA$91.1

-37.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.57

$10.97 CA$15.60

-22.70%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.86

$3.66 CA$5.21

-35.52%

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

$1.63 R$8.18

$2.07 CA$2.95

-21.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.09

$1.41 CA$2.01

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.25

$5.58 CA$7.93

-56.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.53

$5.56 CA$7.91

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.75

$2.12 CA$3.01

-45.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.40

$2.85 CA$4.05

-27.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.45

$4.25 CA$6.04

-69.65%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.38

$3.18 CA$4.52

-28.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$55.2

$8.87 CA$12.62

24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.62

$10.52 CA$14.96

-59.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.88

$10.39 CA$14.78

-6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.19

$4.21 CA$5.99

-32.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.21

$1.59 CA$2.26

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.01

$3.70 CA$5.26

-56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.04

$3.91 CA$5.56

-53.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.31

$2.86 CA$4.06

-55.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.37

$2.79 CA$3.97

-61.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.77

$2.69 CA$3.83

-72.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.31

$1.43 CA$2.03

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.29

$14.87 CA$21.16

-79.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$41.05

$11.16 CA$15.88

-26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.95

$3.15 CA$4.48

-62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.98

$3.40 CA$4.84

-29.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.08

$2.77 CA$3.93

-63.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$252

$69.6 CA$99.0

-27.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.37

$2.90 CA$4.13

-56.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.53

$1.48 CA$2.11

-39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.37

$34.24 CA$48.70

-72.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.69

$1.25 CA$1.78

6.40%

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

$23.4K R$117.6K

$28.3K CA$40.2K

-17.15%

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

$33.6K R$168.5K

$21.3K CA$30.3K

57.68%

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

$134 R$670

$100 CA$143

33.19%

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

$12.23 R$61.4

$31.82 CA$45.26

-61.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$114

$44.74 CA$63.6

-49.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$34.56 CA$49.16

-8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$155

$15.27 CA$21.72

102.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.29

$10.87 CA$15.46

-24.29%

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

$603 R$3,027

$685 CA$975

-11.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.4K

$9,148 CA$13.0K

44.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$209

$59.7 CA$84.9

-30.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$251

$50.2 CA$71.4

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$377

$89.7 CA$128

-16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$343

$108 CA$153

-36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,543

$1,025 CA$1,458

-11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,647

$774 CA$1,101

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,755

$1,565 CA$2,226

-13.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,885

$1,278 CA$1,818

-39.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$20.0K

$4,737 CA$6,737

-15.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,838

$2,731 CA$3,884

-42.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,227

$3,037 CA$4,320

-78.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.44

168.69%

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 Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Quebec City

$774 41.2% 46.7% $246

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Quebec City

$342 18.2% 59.1% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Quebec City

$177 9.4% 5% $8.4

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Quebec City

$299 16% 82.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Quebec City

$138 7.4% 30.8% $33

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Quebec City

$91 4.9% 51.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Quebec City

$56 3% 17.2% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,025 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 372% 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 $64.0 in Quebec City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $342 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

530,168

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Quebec City 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Quebec City

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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Quebec City. 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 372% lower in Quebec City. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,025 in Quebec City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,893 in Quebec City – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 39% less than in Quebec City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,893 in Quebec City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Quebec City. 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 $1,285 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 47% less than in Quebec City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.