Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Regina

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,095 in Regina, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,285
/mo nomad
Regina
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,095
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,095 in Regina, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,285
  • Regina $2,095

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,202 in Regina, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,888
  • Regina $3,202

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,308 in Regina, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,491
  • Regina $4,308

Rio de Janeiro is about 39% cheaper than Regina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Regina is 56% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.98 R$49.83
$21.07 CA$30.04
-52.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.34 R$201
$67.1 CA$95.6
-39.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.48 R$42.35
$10.69 CA$15.24
-20.67%
Cappuccino
$2.36 R$11.80
$4.37 CA$6.23
-46.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 R$8.13
$2.31 CA$3.29
-29.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.06
$1.77 CA$2.52
-42.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 R$12.19
$6.68 CA$9.52
-63.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R$18.43
$5.94 CA$8.47
-37.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 R$5.72
$1.53 CA$2.18
-24.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 R$10.34
$2.26 CA$3.22
-8.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.29 R$6.42
$3.04 CA$4.33
-57.57%
Eggs
$2.27 R$11.32
$3.27 CA$4.66
-30.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.00 R$54.9
$13.30 CA$18.95
-17.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.31 R$21.51
$11.51 CA$16.40
-62.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.74 R$48.63
$16.30 CA$23.23
-40.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 R$14.12
$4.24 CA$6.04
-33.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 R$9.17
$1.43 CA$2.04
28.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$7.96
$3.91 CA$5.57
-59.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.00
$3.60 CA$5.13
-50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.28
$2.28 CA$3.25
-44.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 R$5.34
$2.37 CA$3.38
-54.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 R$3.75
$2.53 CA$3.61
-70.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 R$3.29
$1.95 CA$2.77
-66.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.05 R$15.21
$14.60 CA$20.81
-79.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.18 R$40.84
$13.06 CA$18.61
-37.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$5.92
$3.53 CA$5.03
-66.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 R$11.92
$3.40 CA$4.84
-29.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 R$5.06
$2.32 CA$3.31
-56.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.2 R$250
$62.2 CA$88.6
-19.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.33
$3.52 CA$5.02
-63.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R$4.51
$0.78 CA$1.12
15.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.44 R$47.13
$21.03 CA$29.97
-55.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 R$6.65
$1.22 CA$1.74
9.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K R$117.0K
$28.1K CA$40.0K
-16.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K R$167.6K
$20.2K CA$28.8K
66.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 R$666
$171 CA$243
-21.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.23 R$61.0
$50.6 CA$72.1
-75.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.65 R$113
$55.8 CA$79.6
-59.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.56 R$158
$36.73 CA$52.4
-14.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.87 R$154
$16.33 CA$23.27
89.04%
Cinema Ticket
$8.23 R$41.07
$9.26 CA$13.19
-11.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$603 R$3,011
$479 CA$683
25.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K R$66.1K
$10.4K CA$14.9K
26.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.62 R$208
$50.1 CA$71.3
-16.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.94 R$249
$36.91 CA$52.6
35.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 R$375
$93.9 CA$134
-20.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.3 R$341
$105 CA$150
-34.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$905 R$4,519
$1,059 CA$1,510
-14.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 R$2,633
$851 CA$1,213
-38.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,346 R$6,720
$1,767 CA$2,518
-23.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 R$3,865
$1,527 CA$2,176
-49.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,981 R$19.9K
$2,116 CA$3,016
88.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,562 R$7,798
$2,093 CA$2,983
-25.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Regina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$643 R$3,210
$2,566 CA$3,657
-74.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
4.58
160.48%

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 Regina: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$527
Regina
$851 61.3% $323
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$215
Regina
$368 71.7% $154
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$168
Regina
$277 64.6% $109
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$164
Regina
$315 92.1% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$106
Regina
$129 21.6% $23
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Regina
$79 31.5% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$48
Regina
$55 15.1% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,059 in Regina. 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 299% higher in Regina, 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 $67.0 in Regina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $368 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇨🇦 Regina
🕒 Local time
10:00 10:00 AM
07:00 7:00 AM
3 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
215,106
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Regina 10,130 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Regina

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 Regina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Regina cheaper than Rio de Janeiro?
Yes – Regina is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,143 in Regina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Rio de Janeiro and in Regina?
Groceries cost about 72% more in Regina, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Rio de Janeiro or in Regina?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $67.0 in Regina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Rio de Janeiro or in Regina?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Regina at $2,095. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Regina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Regina more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Regina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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