Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Rio das Ostras

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio das Ostras: $720 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Rio das Ostras
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Rio das Ostras Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Rio das Ostras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Rio das Ostras

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

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $720 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Rio das Ostras $720

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,206 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Rio das Ostras $1,206

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,693 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Rio das Ostras $1,693

Rio de Janeiro costs about 77% more than Rio das Ostras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Rio das Ostras are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Rio das Ostras 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$6.11 R$30.99

53.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$29.93 R$152

33.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$6.91 R$35.02

20.69%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.77 R$8.99

29.38%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.33 R$6.73

19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.62 R$3.13

62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$1.21 R$6.16

76.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$3.03 R$15.37

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.95 R$4.84

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$1.56 R$7.91

33.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.25 R$6.34

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$1.95 R$9.88

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$8.04 R$40.76

35.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$3.49 R$17.68

24.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$8.56 R$43.40

12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$1.95 R$9.87

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.21 R$6.14

49.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$0.93 R$4.74

69.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.27 R$6.45

44.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$0.71 R$3.59

69.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$0.81 R$4.09

30.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.57 R$2.91

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.72 R$3.67

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.27 R$11.53

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$9.18 R$46.51

-13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$2.11 R$10.69

-44.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.44 R$7.28

68.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.02 R$5.18

-7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$43.98 R$223

14.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.37 R$6.95

-12.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.76 R$3.87

9.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$8.02 R$40.63

11.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.17 R$5.93

10.26%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$21.1K R$106.8K

8.07%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$31.3K R$158.8K

8.38%

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

$134 R$681

$69.9 R$354

92.22%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$10.00 R$50.7

7.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$18.83 R$95.5

21.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$23.61 R$120

27.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$27.53 R$140

14.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$6.75 R$34.23

14.52%

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

$584 R$2,960

$327 R$1,658

78.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$7,611 R$38.6K

68.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$56.6 R$287

-27.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$28.31 R$144

74.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$66.8 R$338

10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$48.51 R$246

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$198 R$1,004

354.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$151 R$766

248.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$529 R$2,682

151.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$400 R$2,029

86.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,730 R$8,770

130.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,223 R$6,198

27.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$542 R$2,748

18.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

19.30%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio das Ostras: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Rio das Ostras

$151 21% 71.3% $376

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Rio das Ostras

$179 24.8% 16.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Rio das Ostras

$99 13.7% 41.2% $69

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Rio das Ostras

$111 15.4% 28.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Rio das Ostras

$90 12.5% 12.9% $13

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Rio das Ostras

$53 7.4% 10.4% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Rio das Ostras

$37 5.2% 18.6% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $198 in Rio das Ostras. 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 18% 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 $30.00 in Rio das Ostras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $179 – making Rio das Ostras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Rio das Ostras

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

156,491

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio de Janeiro vs Rio das Ostras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, $720 in Rio das Ostras – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,080 in Rio das Ostras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 20% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $30.00 in Rio das Ostras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio das Ostras, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Rio das Ostras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $720 in Rio das Ostras to $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rio das Ostras. 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.