Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Somerset West Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Somerset West

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $979 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,602 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,226 in Somerset West.

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 3% less than in Somerset West, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Somerset West 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.35

$8.21 R 137

-11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$187

$39.75 R 662

-8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$33.04

$4.95 R 82.5

30.51%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.72

$1.99 R 33.15

-4.52%

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

$1.29 R$6.59

$0.80 R 13.31

61.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.44

$0.87 R 14.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.94

$2.56 R 42.72

-31.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.99

$2.47 R 41.17

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.75

$0.88 R 14.64

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.72

$0.94 R 15.68

80.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.62

$1.92 R 31.97

-22.40%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.96

$2.09 R 34.75

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.81

$7.37 R 123

5.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.26

$4.94 R 82.3

-27.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$40.28

$7.38 R 123

6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.43

$1.57 R 26.18

54.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.35

$1.48 R 24.58

10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.50

$1.45 R 24.15

1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.92

$1.58 R 26.37

-1.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.31

$1.12 R 18.74

9.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.70

$1.22 R 20.38

-9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.52

$1.08 R 18.07

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.09

$0.93 R 15.56

-35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$10.07

$3.17 R 52.8

-37.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.62

$6.00 R 100

29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.22

$1.35 R 22.56

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.64

$1.72 R 28.67

20.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.34

$1.67 R 27.81

-25.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$199

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.75

$1.39 R 23.13

-19.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.33

$1.01 R 16.86

-35.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.88

$4.52 R 75.3

63.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.41

$1.20 R 19.92

-11.67%

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

$20.3K R$103.7K

$19.5K R 324.5K

4.03%

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

$28.1K R$143.7K

$22.5K R 374.7K

24.86%

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

$101 R$518

$68.1 R 1,135

48.54%

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

$12.30 R$62.9

$30.11 R 502

-59.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.9

$41.96 R 699

-55.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$133

$39.16 R 652

-33.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$124

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.36

$6.76 R 113

-3.55%

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

$539 R$2,760

$217 R 3,611

148.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.7K

$3,346 R 55.7K

248.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$230

$31.20 R 520

44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$212

$27.43 R 457

51.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$390

$64.8 R 1,079

17.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$315

$64.4 R 1,072

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,221

$620 R 10.3K

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,660

$397 R 6,620

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,330

$1,242 R 20.7K

-31.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,903

$871 R 14.5K

-34.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$19.0K

$1,242 R 20.7K

199.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,580

$881 R 14.7K

68.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,068

$1,393 R 23.2K

-56.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.5

7.90%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 27, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $620 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 132% 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 $40.00 in Somerset West. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $177, with Somerset West 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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Somerset West differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($946 vs $979 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 132% lower in Somerset West. 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: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $620 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Rio de Janeiro versus $217 in Somerset West. 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 $36.00 versus $40.00 in Somerset West. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $979 in Somerset West, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Somerset West. 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.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Somerset West are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Somerset West. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.