Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Salto, Brazil

For one person, living is cheaper in Salto: $764 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Salto, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,185
/mo nomad
Salto
🇧🇷 Brazil
$764
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $764 in Salto.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,185
  • Salto $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,189 in Salto.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,737
  • Salto $1,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,615 in Salto.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,289
  • Salto $1,615

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 55% more expensive than in Salto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Salto 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.16 R$44.76
$6.35 R$34.82
28.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.20 R$204
$26.03 R$143
42.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 R$41.28
$6.17 R$33.88
21.88%
Cappuccino
$2.10 R$11.55
$1.78 R$9.77
17.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 R$7.47
$0.99 R$5.45
37.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 R$5.27
$0.73 R$3.98
31.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.98 R$10.84
$2.46 R$13.52
-19.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 R$17.89
$2.69 R$14.77
21.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 R$5.96
$0.94 R$5.17
15.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 R$10.24
$1.59 R$8.73
17.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 R$6.17
$1.09 R$6.00
2.75%
Eggs
$2.20 R$12.09
$2.56 R$14.02
-14.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.91 R$54.4
$8.11 R$44.53
22.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.11 R$22.56
$3.52 R$19.31
16.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.25 R$50.7
$9.11 R$49.97
1.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.59 R$14.22
$2.63 R$14.46
-1.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 R$9.26
$1.75 R$9.59
-3.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.47 R$8.06
$1.64 R$8.99
-10.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.72 R$9.42
$1.67 R$9.15
2.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.34
$1.26 R$6.89
-7.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 R$5.48
$1.31 R$7.21
-23.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 R$3.60
$0.87 R$4.78
-24.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 R$3.34
$0.48 R$2.61
27.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.69 R$14.77
$2.43 R$13.32
10.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.20 R$39.53
$8.45 R$46.35
-14.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 R$5.89
$1.57 R$8.64
-31.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 R$12.29
$4.04 R$22.19
-44.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 R$4.81
$0.80 R$4.37
10.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.3 R$287
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 R$6.47
$1.06 R$5.79
11.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.68 R$3.71
$1.21 R$6.66
-43.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.71 R$47.80
$6.56 R$35.99
32.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 R$6.58
$1.06 R$5.79
13.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K R$120.0K
$21.7K R$119.1K
0.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.0K R$170.2K
$31.9K R$174.9K
-2.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 R$689
$37.16 R$204
238.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.14 R$55.6
$9.46 R$51.9
7.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.95 R$115
$17.66 R$96.9
18.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.51 R$156
$24.27 R$133
17.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.87 R$158
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 R$40.63
$2.79 R$15.29
165.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 R$2,947
$239 R$1,311
124.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K R$87.2K
$7,151 R$39.2K
122.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.68 R$212
$51.7 R$284
-25.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.06 R$247
$54.8 R$301
-17.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.6 R$376
$89.7 R$492
-23.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.1 R$352
$77.5 R$425
-17.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$768 R$4,213
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 R$2,693
$225 R$1,235
118.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,458 R$8,004
$551 R$3,027
164.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$743 R$4,077
$374 R$2,051
98.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,325 R$18.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,552 R$8,518
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Salto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$674 R$3,698
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
11.12
7.28%

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 Salto: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$491
Salto
$225 54.1% $266
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$198
Salto
$196 0.9% $1.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$157
Salto
$64 59% $92
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$139
Salto
$115 16.9% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$97
Salto
$123 26.5% $26
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Salto
$10 * 82.9% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$43
Salto
$30 31.1% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $26 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $196 per month, with Salto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Salto
🕒 Local time
06:23 6:23 AM
06:23 6:23 AM
Same time as Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
134,319
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Salto 420 km
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Salto

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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rio de Janeiro and in Salto?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $764 in Salto, so Salto is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Rio de Janeiro compared to Salto?
You’d need roughly $1,778 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,146 in Salto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rio de Janeiro and Salto?
Childcare runs $537 in Rio de Janeiro versus $239 in Salto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rio de Janeiro or Salto?
All in, you’ll spend $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $764 in Salto – Salto is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How does quality of life compare between Rio de Janeiro and Salto?
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.

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