Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Rio Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio Branco: $837 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Rio Branco
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Rio Branco Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Rio Branco

🇧🇷 Brazil

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $837 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Rio Branco $837

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,322 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Rio Branco $1,322

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,806 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Rio Branco $1,806

Rio de Janeiro costs about 42% more than Rio Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Rio Branco are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Rio Branco 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.53

$6.58 R$35.92

24.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$203

$23.93 R$131

55.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.07

$6.84 R$37.35

9.94%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.48

$2.78 R$15.15

-24.46%

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

$1.36 R$7.43

$1.33 R$7.24

2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.25

$0.72 R$3.94

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.79

$1.88 R$10.25

5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.80

$2.87 R$15.67

13.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.93

$0.99 R$5.40

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.19

$1.59 R$8.68

17.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.14

$1.20 R$6.54

-6.67%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.02

$2.08 R$11.37

5.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.1

$8.66 R$47.30

14.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.44

$4.08 R$22.30

0.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.5

$7.81 R$42.65

18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.15

$2.10 R$11.49

23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.21

$1.20 R$6.55

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.01

$1.09 R$5.94

34.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.37

$1.45 R$7.92

18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.31

$1.18 R$6.45

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.45

$1.05 R$5.71

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.59

$0.77 R$4.19

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.33

$0.71 R$3.88

-14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.70

$2.34 R$12.78

14.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.32

$7.53 R$41.12

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.86

$1.22 R$6.67

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.22

$1.96 R$10.72

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.78

$0.62 R$3.40

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$286

$41.30 R$225

26.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.44

$1.23 R$6.72

-4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.69

$0.80 R$4.36

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.55

$7.25 R$39.59

20.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.29 R$7.05

-6.98%

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

$21.9K R$119.4K

$21.9K R$119.6K

-0.15%

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

$31.0K R$169.3K

$30.8K R$168.2K

0.67%

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

$126 R$686

$71.9 R$393

74.67%

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

$10.14 R$55.4

$11.31 R$61.8

-10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$114

$19.60 R$107

6.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$23.91 R$131

19.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$26.12 R$143

10.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.42

$6.84 R$37.35

8.19%

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

$537 R$2,931

$260 R$1,420

106.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$86.7K

$6,586 R$36.0K

141.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$211

$52.3 R$286

-26.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$246

$46.99 R$257

-4.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$374

$84.0 R$458

-18.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$350

$67.4 R$368

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,191

$342 R$1,865

124.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,679

$225 R$1,229

118.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$7,962

$634 R$3,461

130.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,056

$448 R$2,448

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.2K

$1,585 R$8,653

109.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,473

$1,506 R$8,223

3.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,678

$241 R$1,316

179.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.45%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Rio Branco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Rio Branco

$225 26.9% 54.1% $266

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Rio Branco

$180 21.5% 8.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Rio Branco

$103 12.3% 34.4% $54

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Rio Branco

$130 15.5% 6.5% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Rio Branco

$113 13.5% 15.8% $15

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Rio Branco

$49 5.9% 18.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Rio Branco

$38 4.5% 13.2% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $342 in Rio Branco. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rio de Janeiro are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $24 in Rio Branco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $180 – making Rio Branco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Rio Branco

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

06:52 6:52 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

364,756

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Rio Branco 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Rio Branco

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 Rio Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,256 in Rio Branco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio Branco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $768 in Rio de Janeiro.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Rio Branco. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $260 in Rio Branco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio Branco, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,185. In Rio Branco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio Branco – 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 Rio Branco. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.