Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Saint Joseph, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MO
Learn more

Saint Joseph, MO Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Saint Joseph, MO

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 Saint Joseph, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Saint Joseph, MO $2,485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,629 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Saint Joseph, MO $3,629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,773 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Saint Joseph, MO $4,773

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 49% less than in Saint Joseph, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Saint Joseph, MO is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$20.25 $20.25

-53.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$50.1 $50.1

-20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$10.79 $10.79

-22.71%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$5.09 $5.09

-55.01%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.14 $2.14

-25.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.10 $1.10

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$4.92 $4.92

-56.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$7.61 $7.61

-51.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.89 $0.89

26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$3.26 $3.26

-35.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$6.10 $6.10

-79.51%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$4.67 $4.67

-51.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$11.63 $11.63

-6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$8.39 $8.39

-48.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$14.71 $14.71

-34.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$6.98 $6.98

-59.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$2.16 $2.16

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$5.80 $5.80

-72.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$4.36 $4.36

-58.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$3.42 $3.42

-64.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$3.73 $3.73

-71.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$1.91 $1.91

-60.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$2.53 $2.53

-73.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$8.74 $8.74

-66.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$17.28 $17.28

-53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.87 $1.87

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.45 $2.45

-1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.97 $1.97

-52.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$5.10 $5.10

-76.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.81 $1.81

-54.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$35.53 $35.53

-74.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.04 $1.04

24.04%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$27.7K $27.7K

-17.70%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$26.4K $26.4K

28.63%

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

$134 R$681

$147 $147

-8.60%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$47.87 $47.87

-77.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$66.0 $66.0

-65.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$40.97 $40.97

-26.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$15.29 $15.29

-49.44%

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

$584 R$2,960

$812 $812

-28.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$20.8K $20.8K

-38.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$47.92 $47.92

-14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$34.63 $34.63

42.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$89.1 $89.1

-17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$116 $116

-43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$1,616 $1,616

-44.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$1,289 $1,289

-59.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$2,489 $2,489

-46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$2,185 $2,185

-65.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,569 $1,569

154.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,566 $1,566

-0.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$2,880 $2,880

-77.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.37

87.28%

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 Saint Joseph, MO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Saint Joseph, MO

$1.3K 51.9% 145% $762

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Saint Joseph, MO

$403 16.2% 88.6% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Saint Joseph, MO

$261 10.5% 55.4% $93

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Saint Joseph, MO

$308 12.4% 97.7% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Saint Joseph, MO

$130 5.2% 25.1% $26

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Saint Joseph, MO

$22 * 0.9% 62.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Saint Joseph, MO

$72 2.9% 56.9% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Joseph, MO pays 350% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $50.0 in Saint Joseph, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $403 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MO

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

76,780

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Saint Joseph, MO 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Saint Joseph, MO

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 Saint Joseph, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Saint Joseph, MO differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $2,485 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 350% lower in Saint Joseph, MO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $812 in Saint Joseph, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $50.0 in Saint Joseph, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Saint Joseph, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Saint Joseph, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.