Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sete Lagoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sete Lagoas: $632 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Sete Lagoas
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Sete Lagoas Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Sete Lagoas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Sete Lagoas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $632 in Sete Lagoas.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Sete Lagoas $632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,005 in Sete Lagoas.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Sete Lagoas $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,378 in Sete Lagoas.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Sete Lagoas $1,378

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 87% more expensive than in Sete Lagoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Sete Lagoas 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$5.74 R$30.69

58.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$21.20 R$113

75.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$5.14 R$27.48

56.03%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$0.53 R$2.85

313.21%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$0.89 R$4.78

64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$0.54 R$2.88

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$1.09 R$5.82

86.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$1.74 R$9.30

98.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$0.87 R$4.65

21.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$0.67 R$3.60

195.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$1.32 R$7.05

-11.36%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$1.67 R$8.93

32.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$5.69 R$30.43

77.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$2.78 R$14.86

48.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$7.42 R$39.70

23.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$0.92 R$4.91

195.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.08 R$5.76

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$0.54 R$2.88

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$0.91 R$4.84

82.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$0.61 R$3.27

86.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$0.59 R$3.14

67.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$0.52 R$2.78

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$0.51 R$2.70

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$1.52 R$8.13

83.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$5.60 R$29.95

33.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$0.58 R$3.11

87.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$0.90 R$4.81

158.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$0.91 R$4.88

-1.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$41.07 R$220

29.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$0.39 R$2.06

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$0.27 R$1.43

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$7.71 R$41.20

8.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$0.96 R$5.16

26.04%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$13.0K R$69.5K

65.12%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$22.2K R$118.9K

40.03%

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

$124 R$665

$47.18 R$252

163.80%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$9.25 R$49.44

8.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$17.86 R$95.5

16.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$23.90 R$128

18.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$25.34 R$135

15.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$3.68 R$19.70

107.07%

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

$563 R$3,010

$114 R$608

395.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$2,482 R$13.3K

385.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$9.08 R$48.56

332.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$9.40 R$50.3

393.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$36.89 R$197

85.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$36.89 R$197

71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$341 R$1,821

127.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$231 R$1,234

104.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$630 R$3,367

120.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$456 R$2,441

61.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$1,550 R$8,288

118.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$1,164 R$6,224

34.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

$409 R$2,184

46.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.67

11.81%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sete Lagoas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Sete Lagoas

$231 36.5% 51.2% $242

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Sete Lagoas

$125 19.8% 37.6% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Sete Lagoas

$74 11.8% 52.2% $81

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Sete Lagoas

$82 13% 45% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Sete Lagoas

$42 6.6% 57.6% $56

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Sete Lagoas

$46 7.4% 24.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Sete Lagoas

$31 5% 28.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $341 in Sete Lagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 46% 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 Sete Lagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $125 per month, with Sete Lagoas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Sete Lagoas

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

227,397

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $632 in Sete Lagoas, so Sete Lagoas is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $341 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 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 $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $632 in Sete Lagoas – Sete Lagoas is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $632 in Sete Lagoas versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 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 47% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.