Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sete Lagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sete Lagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $616 in Sete Lagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $983 in Sete Lagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,350 in Sete Lagoas.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 56% more expensive than Sete Lagoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Sete Lagoas 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$6.43 R$33.10

11.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$20.59 R$106

72.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$4.94 R$25.44

30.36%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$0.55 R$2.86

258.18%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$0.88 R$4.56

44.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.52 R$2.68

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.38 R$7.08

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$1.72 R$8.87

55.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$0.79 R$4.09

46.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$0.61 R$3.14

178.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.59 R$8.17

-11.32%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$1.54 R$7.96

29.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$5.53 R$28.49

45.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$2.75 R$14.17

31.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.10 R$36.56

15.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$0.87 R$4.49

175.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.11 R$5.72

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$0.56 R$2.87

166.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$0.86 R$4.43

81.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.07 R$5.51

21.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$0.56 R$2.89

96.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.46 R$2.37

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.48 R$2.47

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.10 R$10.82

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$5.79 R$29.80

50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$0.55 R$2.85

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$0.93 R$4.81

131.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.87 R$4.48

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.34 R$197

2.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$0.37 R$1.92

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.27 R$1.39

162.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$7.89 R$40.62

-6.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$0.88 R$4.53

21.59%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$12.5K R$64.4K

62.80%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$21.5K R$110.5K

26.31%

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

$104 R$535

$44.61 R$230

132.71%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$14.36 R$74.0

-15.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$17.98 R$92.6

4.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.59 R$116

13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.52 R$111

13.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$3.68 R$18.94

79.35%

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

$542 R$2,791

$106 R$546

410.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,816 R$35.1K

73.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$9.06 R$46.69

388.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$8.84 R$45.56

374.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$36.45 R$188

110.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$36.27 R$187

70.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$319 R$1,645

37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$219 R$1,127

51.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$589 R$3,032

42.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$437 R$2,253

30.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,618 R$8,335

107.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,161 R$5,983

19.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

$432 R$2,228

26.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.83

4.62%

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 Sete Lagoas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $319 in Sete Lagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 27% 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: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $21.00 in Sete Lagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $124 per month, with Sete Lagoas 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 Sete Lagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Sete Lagoas differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($960 vs $616 including rent). Sete Lagoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rio de Janeiro pays 27% more on average, 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $319 in Sete Lagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sete Lagoas – a meal for two runs $21.00 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 $616 in Sete Lagoas – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $616 in Sete Lagoas versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sete Lagoas but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Sete Lagoas 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 Sete Lagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.