Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,994 in South Portland, ME.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
South Portland, ME $2,994

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,563 in South Portland, ME.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
South Portland, ME $4,563

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $6,131 in South Portland, ME.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
South Portland, ME $6,131

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 57% less than in South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, South Portland, ME is 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.69

$24.56 $24.56

-59.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$120 $120

-66.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.23

$14.81 $14.81

-42.74%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.77

$5.13 $5.13

-54.00%

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

$1.63 R$8.11

$3.03 $3.03

-46.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.05

$2.37 $2.37

-57.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.15

$7.84 $7.84

-68.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.38

$8.06 $8.06

-54.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.70

$1.03 $1.03

11.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.31

$4.56 $4.56

-54.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.40

$7.23 $7.23

-82.16%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.29

$3.93 $3.93

-42.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.7

$15.46 $15.46

-28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.44

$10.02 $10.02

-56.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.49

$15.91 $15.91

-38.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.07

$5.06 $5.06

-44.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.14

$1.71 $1.71

7.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.94

$5.45 $5.45

-70.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$8.97

$7.38 $7.38

-75.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.26

$4.46 $4.46

-71.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.32

$3.75 $3.75

-71.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.74

$3.02 $3.02

-75.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.28

$2.52 $2.52

-73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.16

$11.11 $11.11

-72.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.72

$14.80 $14.80

-44.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.90

$1.86 $1.86

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.88

$2.59 $2.59

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.04

$2.07 $2.07

-51.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.31

$2.05 $2.05

-38.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.50

$1.58 $1.58

-43.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$46.99

$11.11 $11.11

-15.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.63

$1.09 $1.09

22.02%

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

$23.4K R$116.6K

$36.1K $36.1K

-35.03%

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

$33.6K R$167.1K

$25.1K $25.1K

33.71%

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

$134 R$664

$239 $239

-44.05%

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

$12.23 R$60.9

$69.9 $69.9

-82.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$78.1 $78.1

-70.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$157

$61.0 $61.0

-48.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$29.63 $29.63

4.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$40.95

$15.21 $15.21

-45.89%

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

$603 R$3,002

$402 $402

50.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$65.9K

$15.2K $15.2K

-13.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$207

$52.3 $52.3

-20.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$52.3 $52.3

-4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$373

$103 $103

-27.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$340

$135 $135

-49.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,506

$1,933 $1,933

-53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,625

$1,521 $1,521

-65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,700

$3,149 $3,149

-57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,854

$2,643 $2,643

-70.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.8K

$2,801 $2,801

42.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,775

$2,405 $2,405

-35.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,200

$4,254 $4,254

-84.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.65

79.40%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7% 188% $993

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9% 108% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9% 130% $218

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7% 132% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1% 45.7% $48

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6% 69.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1% 90.3% $43

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 $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,933 in South Portland, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays 562% 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 $120 in South Portland, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $446 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

26,498

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro South Portland, ME 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and South Portland, ME differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $2,994 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 562% lower in South Portland, ME. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,933 in South Portland, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $603 in Rio de Janeiro versus $402 in South Portland, ME. 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 $120 in South Portland, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,994 in South Portland, ME, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in South Portland, ME. 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 South Portland, ME 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 133% less than in South Portland, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.