Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Quevedo

For one person, living is cheaper in Quevedo: $845 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Quevedo
Learn more

Quevedo Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Quevedo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $845 in Quevedo.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Quevedo $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,466 in Quevedo.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Quevedo $1,466

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,086 in Quevedo.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Quevedo $2,086

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 52% more expensive than in Quevedo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Quevedo 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.91 $5.91

70.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$54.8 $54.8

-26.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$7.57 $7.57

12.95%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$3.36 $3.36

-29.17%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.42 $1.42

13.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.11 $1.11

-7.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$3.54 $3.54

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$6.04 $6.04

-38.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.14 $1.14

4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.61 $1.61

27.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.17 $2.17

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.60 $6.60

63.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$5.71 $5.71

-22.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$7.68 $7.68

28.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$2.25 $2.25

24.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.23 $1.23

44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$1.32 $1.32

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.08 $1.08

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.19 $1.19

2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.07 $1.07

-2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.87 $0.87

-11.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.02 $1.02

-34.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$6.13 $6.13

-50.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$10.13 $10.13

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.57 $1.57

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.10 $3.10

-19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.33 $0.33

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$17.45 $17.45

187.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.52 $1.52

-19.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.49 $1.49

-38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$10.15 $10.15

-11.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.85 $0.85

52.94%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

12.16%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$28.0K $28.0K

17.18%

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

$133 R$676

$28.93 $28.93

361.11%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$17.60 $17.60

-38.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$28.80 $28.80

-20.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$34.05 $34.05

-9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$16.89 $16.89

88.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$6.44 $6.44

25.00%

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

$598 R$3,029

$227 $227

163.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$8,815 $8,815

52.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$70.8 $70.8

-40.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$50.4 $50.4

-1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$114 $114

-34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$108 $108

-36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$300 $300

201.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$192 $192

175.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$790 $790

68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$468 $468

61.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,113 $1,113

260.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$794 $794

96.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.12

17.89%

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 Quevedo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Quevedo

$192 22.7% 63.7% $337

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Quevedo

$199 23.5% 7.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Quevedo

$75 8.9% 54.9% $92

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Quevedo

$150 17.8% 9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Quevedo

$154 18.3% 46% $49

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Quevedo

$28 3.3% 53.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Quevedo

$47 5.6% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $300 in Quevedo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $55.0 in Quevedo. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $199, with Quevedo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Quevedo

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

16:44 4:44 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

300,000

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Quevedo 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Quevedo

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 Quevedo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Quevedo differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $845 including rent). Quevedo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,268 in Quevedo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $300 in Quevedo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quevedo runs roughly 187% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $227 in Quevedo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $845 in Quevedo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quevedo but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Quevedo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Quevedo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.