Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Quito $979

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Quito $2,234

Rio de Janeiro costs about 31% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Quito 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$6.14 $6.14

62.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$53.9 $53.9

-25.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$7.81 $7.81

8.58%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.42 $3.42

-30.99%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.44 $1.44

13.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.14 $1.14

-11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$3.48 $3.48

-29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$5.89 $5.89

-37.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.14 $1.14

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$1.54 $1.54

34.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$1.51 $1.51

-14.57%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$2.16 $2.16

5.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$6.40 $6.40

71.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$5.48 $5.48

-21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$7.81 $7.81

24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$2.33 $2.33

21.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.24 $1.24

48.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.31 $1.31

22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$1.14 $1.14

57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$1.21 $1.21

4.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$1.02 $1.02

4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$0.93 $0.93

-19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.05 $1.05

-37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$6.02 $6.02

-49.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$9.93 $9.93

-17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.59 $1.59

-25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.08 $3.08

-22.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.37 $0.37

172.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$20.95 $20.95

139.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.54 $1.54

-17.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.53 $1.53

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$10.01 $10.01

-5.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$0.87 $0.87

52.87%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$21.0K $21.0K

11.66%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$28.6K $28.6K

17.59%

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

$134 R$666

$28.97 $28.97

360.82%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$17.57 $17.57

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$28.14 $28.14

-19.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$46.48 $46.48

-32.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$17.70 $17.70

74.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$6.38 $6.38

29.00%

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

$603 R$3,011

$746 $746

-19.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$9,015 $9,015

46.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$68.8 $68.8

-39.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$50.4 $50.4

-0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$117 $117

-36.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$109 $109

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$478 $478

89.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$313 $313

68.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$967 $967

39.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$549 $549

41.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$1,763 $1,763

125.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$720 $720

116.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$597 $597

7.75%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Quito

$313 31.8% 40.6% $214

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Quito

$198 20.1% 8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Quito

$75 7.6% 55.6% $94

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Quito

$153 15.5% 6.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Quito

$156 15.8% 47.1% $50

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Quito

$32 3.2% 47.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Quito

$59 6% 23.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $478 in Quito. 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 8% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $54.0 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $198 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Quito 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,468 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 139% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,285. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. 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.