Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Soledad

For one person, living costs are similar in Rio de Janeiro and in Soledad: $1,289 and $1,307 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Soledad
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Soledad Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Soledad

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,307 in Soledad.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Soledad $1,307

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,057 in Soledad.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Soledad $2,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,806 in Soledad.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Soledad $2,806

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 1% less than in Soledad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Soledad 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.8

$5.83 COP 18.6K

72.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$204

$42.55 COP 135.3K

-4.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.16

$10.03 COP 31.9K

-14.76%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.99

$2.56 COP 8,136

-7.03%

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

$1.61 R$8.14

$2.55 COP 8,119

-36.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.20

$2.25 COP 7,155

-54.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.49

$3.33 COP 10.6K

-25.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.69

$5.15 COP 16.4K

-28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.94 COP 6,155

-38.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.34

$2.77 COP 8,795

-25.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.46

$1.43 COP 4,543

-10.49%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.55

$4.98 COP 15.8K

-54.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.3

$7.85 COP 25.0K

37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.26

$9.74 COP 31.0K

-54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.65

$13.34 COP 42.4K

-26.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.19

$3.46 COP 11.0K

-18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.99

$1.65 COP 5,235

7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$2.00 COP 6,361

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.07

$1.68 COP 5,341

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.14

$1.25 COP 3,960

-2.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$1.36 COP 4,330

-23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.90

$1.08 COP 3,442

-28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.36

$1.19 COP 3,799

-43.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.21

$3.55 COP 11.3K

-15.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.77

$14.35 COP 45.6K

-43.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.00

$1.41 COP 4,477

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.67

$2.20 COP 7,011

14.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$1.26 COP 4,008

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.58 COP 5,017

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.64

$3.65 COP 11.6K

-74.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.25

$9.19 COP 29.2K

-2.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.33 COP 4,240

-2.26%

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

$23.9K R$120.5K

$23.1K COP 73.5M

3.32%

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

$32.9K R$165.9K

$34.0K COP 108.0M

-3.26%

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

$133 R$673

$79.3 COP 252.3K

68.18%

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

$10.82 R$54.6

$11.95 COP 38.0K

-9.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$25.61 COP 81.5K

-10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$32.77 COP 104.2K

-6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.65

$8.05 COP 25.6K

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

$598 R$3,016

$627 COP 2.0M

-4.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.7K

$5,760 COP 18.3M

132.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$212

$92.9 COP 295.3K

-54.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$251

$48.49 COP 154.2K

2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$376

$116 COP 370.5K

-36.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$347

$109 COP 347.8K

-37.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,558

$629 COP 2.0M

43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,672

$504 COP 1.6M

5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,695

$876 COP 2.8M

51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,814

$973 COP 3.1M

-22.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$1,768 COP 5.6M

126.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

$1,584 COP 5.0M

-1.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,228

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-20.47%

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 Soledad: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Soledad

$504 38.6% 4.9% $26

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Soledad

$294 22.5% 36.9% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Soledad

$117 8.9% 30.1% $50

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Soledad

$154 11.8% 6.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Soledad

$165 12.6% 56.3% $60

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Soledad

$25 * 1.9% 58.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Soledad

$49 3.7% 4.2% $2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $629 in Soledad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $43.00 in Soledad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $294 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇴 Soledad

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

582,156

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.198 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.05 BRL (1 BRL = 0.198 USD). 1 EUR = 5.65 BRL (1 BRL = 0.177 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Soledad 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Soledad

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 Soledad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Soledad differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $1,307 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,960 in Soledad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $629 in Soledad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $627 in Soledad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $43.00 in Soledad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,307 in Soledad, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Soledad. 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 1% less than in Soledad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.