Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Scarborough

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,466 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
Learn more

Scarborough Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,466 in Scarborough.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Scarborough $2,466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,385 in Scarborough.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Scarborough $3,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,304 in Scarborough.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Scarborough $4,304

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 48% less than in Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Scarborough is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$16.49 CA$23.31

-38.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$68.8 CA$97.2

-41.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$10.56 CA$14.93

-19.03%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$3.87 CA$5.47

-38.50%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$2.07 CA$2.92

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.37 CA$1.94

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$6.24 CA$8.82

-60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$7.08 CA$10.01

-47.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.51 CA$3.56

-52.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.68 CA$3.78

-23.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.13 CA$3.01

-39.91%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$3.45 CA$4.88

-33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$8.94 CA$12.63

20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$11.01 CA$15.56

-59.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$12.57 CA$17.77

-21.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$3.22 CA$4.56

-12.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.21 CA$1.71

47.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$3.39 CA$4.79

-52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$4.00 CA$5.65

-55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.65 CA$2.33

-26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.58 CA$2.24

-34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$2.28 CA$3.22

-66.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.19 CA$1.68

-43.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$13.74 CA$19.43

-78.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$12.75 CA$18.03

-36.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.11 CA$2.99

-43.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.51 CA$3.55

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.35 CA$3.32

-57.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$103 CA$146

-51.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$2.95 CA$4.17

-58.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.26 CA$1.79

-26.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$21.32 CA$30.14

-57.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.21 CA$1.72

7.44%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$27.5K CA$38.8K

-13.04%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$19.9K CA$28.1K

65.40%

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

$133 R$676

$141 CA$199

-5.09%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$34.98 CA$49.45

-69.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$47.92 CA$67.7

-52.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$35.43 CA$50.1

-13.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$35.38 CA$50.0

-9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$12.45 CA$17.60

-35.34%

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

$598 R$3,029

$808 CA$1,142

-26.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$10.4K CA$14.7K

29.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$51.5 CA$72.9

-18.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$39.00 CA$55.1

27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$84.4 CA$119

-11.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$103 CA$146

-33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$1,695 CA$2,396

-46.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$1,342 CA$1,898

-60.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$2,130 CA$3,011

-37.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$1,736 CA$2,454

-56.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$7,564 CA$10.7K

-46.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$6,121 CA$8,653

-74.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$2,908 CA$4,111

-78.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.55

162.20%

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 Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4% 154% $813

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Scarborough

$323 13.1% 50.6% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Scarborough

$223 9.1% 33.7% $56

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Scarborough

$269 10.9% 63.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Scarborough

$125 5.1% 18.4% $19

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Scarborough

$122 5% 104% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Scarborough

$60 2.5% 28.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,695 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 355% 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: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $69.0 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $323 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

29,960

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Scarborough 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Scarborough

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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Scarborough differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $2,466 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 355% lower in Scarborough. 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: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,695 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $69.0 in Scarborough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,466 in Scarborough – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,466 in Scarborough, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.