Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Santa Maria Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Santa Maria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $676 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,082 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,488 in Santa Maria.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 42% more expensive than Santa Maria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Santa Maria 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$36.43

$4.41 R$22.32

63.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$180

$26.70 R$135

33.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$32.61

$6.39 R$32.32

0.78%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$9.99

$1.36 R$6.88

44.85%

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

$1.27 R$6.45

$0.94 R$4.78

35.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.54

$0.59 R$2.99

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.93

$1.45 R$7.35

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.58

$3.55 R$17.97

-24.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.88

$0.83 R$4.21

39.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.59

$1.38 R$6.97

23.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.14

$1.06 R$5.35

33.02%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$1.50 R$7.60

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$40.72

$8.47 R$42.85

-4.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.31

$3.58 R$18.14

1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$41.49

$7.62 R$38.53

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.13

$2.08 R$10.51

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.99

$1.26 R$6.37

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.56

$1.31 R$6.65

13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.89

$1.47 R$7.43

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.09 R$5.53

19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.08 R$5.45

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.46

$0.77 R$3.87

-11.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.93

$0.62 R$3.12

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$1.95 R$9.89

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.17

$7.74 R$39.15

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.01 R$5.11

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.89

$1.89 R$9.59

13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.23

$0.94 R$4.74

30.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$199

$26.77 R$135

46.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.63

$1.58 R$8.02

-29.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.61

$1.04 R$5.26

-31.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.30

$5.28 R$26.71

39.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.43

$0.99 R$5.02

8.08%

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

$20.4K R$103.0K

$23.1K R$116.9K

-11.93%

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

$27.1K R$137.1K

0.01%

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

$104 R$525

$48.41 R$245

114.44%

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

$12.18 R$61.6

$14.90 R$75.4

-18.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$94.6

$16.45 R$83.2

13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$130

$21.75 R$110

18.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$123

$11.02 R$55.7

121.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$33.41

$5.15 R$26.03

28.16%

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

$542 R$2,742

$142 R$716

282.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$59.7K

$2,668 R$13.5K

342.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$224

$49.06 R$248

-9.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$212

$38.92 R$197

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$389

$81.3 R$411

-5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$314

$57.0 R$288

8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,218

$272 R$1,379

60.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,672

$156 R$788

112.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,242

$573 R$2,901

46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,881

$333 R$1,687

70.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.0K

$1,954 R$9,884

71.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,026

$683 R$3,455

103.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,773

$623 R$3,154

-12.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

13.30%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $272 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $169 per month, with Santa Maria cheaper across the board.

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 Santa Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Santa Maria differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($960 vs $676 including rent). Santa Maria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santa Maria earns 14% less. 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $272 in Santa Maria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Maria – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $676 in Santa Maria – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $676 in Santa Maria versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Maria but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.