Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and San Ignacio de Velasco

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ignacio de Velasco: $109 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

San Ignacio de Velasco

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in San Ignacio de Velasco

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 San Ignacio de Velasco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $109 in San Ignacio de Velasco.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
San Ignacio de Velasco $109

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $178 in San Ignacio de Velasco.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
San Ignacio de Velasco $178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $247 in San Ignacio de Velasco.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
San Ignacio de Velasco $247

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 1085% more expensive than in San Ignacio de Velasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, San Ignacio de Velasco 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

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

$1.61 R$8.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.43 BOB 5.05

176.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.48 BOB 28.78

-17.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$0.40 BOB 4.67

220.00%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.04 BOB 23.70

12.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$2.09 BOB 24.25

414.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$1.48 BOB 17.17

197.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$2.46 BOB 28.51

300.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$1.68 BOB 19.50

67.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.29 BOB 15.02

37.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$0.81 BOB 9.46

97.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.57 BOB 6.63

215.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.88 BOB 10.20

38.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.43 BOB 5.01

141.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.33 BOB 3.81

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.66 BOB 7.65

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$1.04 BOB 12.05

189.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$4.34 BOB 50.4

86.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.03 BOB 11.93

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

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

$133 R$676

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

$10.82 R$54.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Ignacio de Velasco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

San Ignacio de Velasco

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇴 San Ignacio de Velasco

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

31,594

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 BOB = 8.61 USD

100 BOB = 7.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro San Ignacio de Velasco 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
San Ignacio de Velasco

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 San Ignacio de Velasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and San Ignacio de Velasco differ by about 1085% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $109 including rent). San Ignacio de Velasco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $163 in San Ignacio de Velasco 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $109 in San Ignacio de Velasco – a 1085% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $109 in San Ignacio de Velasco versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Ignacio de Velasco but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes San Ignacio de Velasco 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 San Ignacio de Velasco 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 San Ignacio de Velasco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1085% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.