Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Salem, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $3,511 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 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
171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Salem, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,511 in Salem, MA.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Salem, MA $3,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,880 in Salem, MA.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Salem, MA $4,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $6,248 in Salem, MA.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Salem, MA $6,248

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 64% less than in Salem, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Salem, MA is 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$24.63 $24.63

-61.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$98.2 $98.2

-59.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$11.20 $11.20

-25.54%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$5.04 $5.04

-54.56%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.46 $2.46

-35.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$2.16 $2.16

-53.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$8.13 $8.13

-73.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$7.19 $7.19

-49.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.26 $1.26

-10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$3.55 $3.55

-41.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$4.43 $4.43

-71.78%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$4.32 $4.32

-47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$12.22 $12.22

-10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$11.72 $11.72

-62.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$17.43 $17.43

-44.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$4.61 $4.61

-38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.56 $1.56

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$4.20 $4.20

-62.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$4.74 $4.74

-61.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.81 $2.81

-57.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$2.90 $2.90

-63.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$2.55 $2.55

-70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$2.23 $2.23

-69.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$11.02 $11.02

-73.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$15.29 $15.29

-47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.79 $1.79

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$3.42 $3.42

-29.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.89 $1.89

-50.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$40.09 $40.09

25.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$3.00 $3.00

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.54 $1.54

-46.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$31.85 $31.85

-71.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$0.89 $0.89

44.94%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

-12.00%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

26.46%

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

$134 R$681

$179 $179

-24.89%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$59.4 $59.4

-81.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$63.8 $63.8

-64.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$42.17 $42.17

-28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$14.49 $14.49

-46.65%

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

$584 R$2,960

$1,266 $1,266

-53.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$23.7K $23.7K

-45.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$84.2 $84.2

-51.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$56.8 $56.8

-13.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$97.7 $97.7

-24.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$98.1 $98.1

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$2,339 $2,339

-61.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$2,162 $2,162

-75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$3,928 $3,928

-66.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$3,135 $3,135

-76.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$2,748 $2,748

45.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$2,332 $2,332

-33.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$9,532 $9,532

-93.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.57

81.58%

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 Salem, MA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Salem, MA

$2.2K 61.6% 310% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Salem, MA

$401 11.4% 87.7% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Salem, MA

$302 8.6% 79.9% $134

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Salem, MA

$365 10.4% 134% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Salem, MA

$152 4.3% 46.4% $48

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Salem, MA

$58 1.7% 1.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Salem, MA

$71 2% 56% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 1388% 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 $98.0 in Salem, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $401 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

14:49 2:49 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

155,469

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Salem, MA 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Salem, MA

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 Salem, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Salem, MA differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $3,511 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 1388% lower in Salem, MA. 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 $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $98.0 in Salem, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,511 in Salem, MA – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,511 in Salem, MA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Salem, MA. 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.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Salem, MA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.