Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,998 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,998 in Staten Island, NY.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Staten Island, NY $2,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,498 in Staten Island, NY.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Staten Island, NY $4,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $5,998 in Staten Island, NY.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Staten Island, NY $5,998

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 58% less than in Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Staten Island, NY is 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$23.72 $23.72

-60.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$88.8 $88.8

-54.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$13.47 $13.47

-38.08%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$6.54 $6.54

-64.98%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.67 $2.67

-40.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.64 $1.64

-38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$7.83 $7.83

-72.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$8.17 $8.17

-55.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.24 $1.24

-8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$4.92 $4.92

-57.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$6.76 $6.76

-81.51%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$5.84 $5.84

-61.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$17.44 $17.44

-37.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$14.00 $14.00

-68.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$19.21 $19.21

-50.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$6.79 $6.79

-58.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$3.49 $3.49

-48.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$6.09 $6.09

-74.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$6.81 $6.81

-73.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$4.09 $4.09

-70.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$4.30 $4.30

-75.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$2.78 $2.78

-73.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$2.85 $2.85

-76.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$17.80 $17.80

-83.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$14.73 $14.73

-45.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.76 $1.76

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$3.67 $3.67

-34.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$2.98 $2.98

-68.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$3.02 $3.02

-60.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$2.21 $2.21

-62.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$42.69 $42.69

-78.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.15 $1.15

12.17%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$32.6K $32.6K

-30.06%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

29.21%

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

$134 R$681

$213 $213

-37.03%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$75.0 $75.0

-85.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$64.2 $64.2

-64.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$115 $115

-73.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$20.36 $20.36

-62.03%

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

$584 R$2,960

$2,001 $2,001

-70.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$16.3K $16.3K

-21.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$71.9 $71.9

-42.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$37.12 $37.12

32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$102 $102

-27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$106 $106

-37.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$1,851 $1,851

-51.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$1,423 $1,423

-62.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$3,379 $3,379

-60.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$2,470 $2,470

-69.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$6,817 $6,817

-90.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.8

75.44%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47.5% 170% $896

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Staten Island, NY

$517 17.3% 142% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Staten Island, NY

$352 11.8% 110% $185

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7% 145% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.8% 37.9% $39

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9% 56.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Staten Island, NY

$156 5.2% 241% $110

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 $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,851 in Staten Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 965% 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 $89.0 in Staten Island, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $517 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

495,747

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Staten Island, NY 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Staten Island, NY differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $2,998 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 965% lower in Staten Island, NY. 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: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,851 in Staten Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,001 in Staten Island, NY. 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 $89.0 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,998 in Staten Island, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Staten Island, NY. 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 Staten Island, NY 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 135% less than in Staten Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.