Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro versus $857 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,748 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,298 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,739 in Sao Luis.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 41% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Sao Luis 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R$43.35

$6.40 R$32.63

32.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R$194

$38.07 R$194

-0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 R$38.85

$6.77 R$34.54

12.56%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.43

$2.17 R$11.08

3.23%

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

$1.56 R$7.93

$1.23 R$6.28

26.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.29

$0.67 R$3.40

55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.57

$1.92 R$9.77

18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.86

$2.32 R$11.85

42.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.06 R$5.42

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$9.99

$1.84 R$9.37

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.06 R$5.40

25.47%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.32

$2.07 R$10.57

7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 R$52.8

$9.82 R$50.1

5.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$22.04

$4.14 R$21.09

4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 R$48.04

$7.40 R$37.74

27.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.46

$2.02 R$10.31

30.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.79

$1.33 R$6.77

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.76

$1.16 R$5.92

31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.11

$1.63 R$8.29

9.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.34 R$6.82

-8.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.28

$1.25 R$6.36

-17.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.56

$0.85 R$4.32

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.21

$0.69 R$3.52

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 R$14.82

$2.33 R$11.90

24.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$39.97

$8.04 R$41.02

-2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.62

$1.24 R$6.34

-11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.04

$2.16 R$11.01

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.09

$0.77 R$3.93

29.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.98 R$250

$38.05 R$194

28.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.06

$0.93 R$4.75

27.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.47

$0.90 R$4.61

-2.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.76

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.42

$1.17 R$5.98

7.69%

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

$23.3K R$119.1K

$23.2K R$118.2K

0.70%

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

$32.2K R$164.3K

$29.0K R$148.1K

10.99%

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

$132 R$672

$93.1 R$475

41.52%

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

$10.95 R$55.9

$16.90 R$86.2

-35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 R$112

$20.64 R$105

6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 R$145

$19.76 R$101

44.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 R$154

$14.51 R$74.0

108.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.80

$7.55 R$38.48

3.31%

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

$538 R$2,743

$222 R$1,135

141.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$65.3K

$4,659 R$23.8K

174.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.62 R$207

$47.59 R$243

-14.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$236

$50.4 R$257

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 R$355

$56.7 R$289

22.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 R$330

$57.1 R$291

13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R$4,222

$343 R$1,749

141.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,384

$223 R$1,138

109.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,444

$543 R$2,769

132.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R$3,687

$317 R$1,614

128.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 R$20.6K

$1,474 R$7,519

174.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R$7,707

$692 R$3,529

118.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,127

$375 R$1,911

63.65%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Rio de Janeiro and $343 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 64% 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: $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $38.00 in Sao Luis. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $190, with Sao Luis cheaper for home cooking.

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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Sao Luis differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,205 vs $857 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $828 in Rio de Janeiro versus $343 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Luis – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,205 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $857 in Sao Luis – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.