Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in St John

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $315 in St John.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
St John $315

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $928 in St John.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
St John $928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,540 in St John.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
St John $1,540

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 308% more expensive than in St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, St John 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$20.15 $20.15

-50.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$174 $174

-76.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$7.10 $7.10

-66.76%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$3.02 $3.02

-46.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.05 $2.05

-50.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$8.16 $8.16

-70.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$8.05 $8.05

-54.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.57 $1.57

-15.29%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$13.4K $13.4K

-1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$12.9K $12.9K

-69.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$5,080 $5,080

-87.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

7.05

69.22%

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 St John: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

St John

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

St John

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays 690% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $174 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,743

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro St John 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and St John differ by about 308% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $315 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 690% lower in St John. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in St John – a meal for two runs $174 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $315 in St John – a 308% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $315 in St John versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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 St John 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 St John gentler on the wallet – expenses run 308% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.