Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $725 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $725 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,205 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,205

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,686 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,686

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 64% more expensive than in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Sao Joao da Boa Vista 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.82

$5.18 R$28.44

57.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$21.38 R$117

73.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.34

$8.35 R$45.91

-9.94%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.56

$1.84 R$10.09

14.13%

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

$1.36 R$7.48

$1.13 R$6.23

20.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.28

$0.86 R$4.74

11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.86

$1.90 R$10.46

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.92

$1.89 R$10.40

72.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.97

$0.99 R$5.45

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.26

$1.52 R$8.38

23.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.18

$0.89 R$4.92

25.84%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.10

$2.18 R$11.97

0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.5

$8.19 R$45.02

21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.59

$4.14 R$22.77

-0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.8

$9.41 R$51.7

-1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.24

$1.85 R$10.16

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.27

$1.09 R$5.98

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.07

$0.95 R$5.24

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.43

$1.53 R$8.39

12.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.35

$0.76 R$4.20

52.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.49

$0.71 R$3.89

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.61

$0.70 R$3.87

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.35

$0.73 R$4.03

-16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.79

$2.63 R$14.47

2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.58

$5.52 R$30.32

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.89

$1.09 R$5.99

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.30

$4.09 R$22.48

-45.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$0.82 R$4.52

7.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$288

$41.30 R$227

26.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.48

$1.25 R$6.87

-5.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$1.26 R$6.95

-46.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.87

$8.69 R$47.74

0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.59

$0.95 R$5.21

26.32%

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

$21.9K R$120.2K

$18.3K R$100.4K

19.76%

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

$31.0K R$170.4K

$32.3K R$177.4K

-3.95%

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

$126 R$690

$40.72 R$224

208.50%

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

$10.14 R$55.7

$9.24 R$50.8

9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$17.23 R$94.7

21.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$157

$26.19 R$144

8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$159

$25.78 R$142

11.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.69

$5.18 R$28.47

42.86%

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

$537 R$2,951

$407 R$2,237

31.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.3K

$7,136 R$39.2K

122.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$213

$52.8 R$290

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$248

$55.4 R$305

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$377

$49.20 R$270

39.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$56.5 R$310

13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,219

$335 R$1,841

129.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,697

$185 R$1,014

165.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,015

$631 R$3,470

130.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,082

$457 R$2,511

62.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

$1,551 R$8,523

114.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,530

$1,139 R$6,260

36.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,703

$628 R$3,452

7.25%

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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$185 25.5% 62.4% $306

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$178 24.6% 10% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$67 9.3% 57.1% $90

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$110 15.2% 20.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$96 13.3% 1.2% $1.1

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$52 7.2% 13.6% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$37 5% 15.6% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Rio de Janeiro and $335 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 7% 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: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $21 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $178 per month, with Sao Joao da Boa Vista cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

92,547

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rio de Janeiro Sao Joao da Boa Vista 380 km

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $725 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, so Sao Joao da Boa Vista is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $335 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista – a meal for two runs $21 versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $725 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista – Sao Joao da Boa Vista is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $725 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Boa Vista but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.