Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Stratford, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,958 in Stratford, ON, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Stratford, ON

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,958 in Stratford, ON.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Stratford, ON $1,958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,116 in Stratford, ON.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Stratford, ON $3,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,273 in Stratford, ON.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Stratford, ON $4,273

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 34% less than in Stratford, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Stratford, ON is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.8

$17.76 CA$25.24

-43.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$204

$49.34 CA$70.1

-18.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.16

$11.08 CA$15.75

-22.83%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.99

$3.41 CA$4.85

-30.21%

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

$1.61 R$8.14

$1.47 CA$2.08

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.33 CA$1.90

-22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.49

$4.08 CA$5.80

-39.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.69

$4.49 CA$6.38

-17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.08 CA$2.96

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.34

$2.75 CA$3.91

-25.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.46

$3.74 CA$5.32

-65.78%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.55

$2.96 CA$4.20

-22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.3

$9.86 CA$14.02

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.26

$11.08 CA$15.75

-60.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.65

$21.37 CA$30.37

-53.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.19

$3.46 CA$4.91

-18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.99

$1.01 CA$1.43

76.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$4.27 CA$6.06

-62.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.07

$4.61 CA$6.55

-60.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.14

$3.41 CA$4.85

-64.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$2.35 CA$3.34

-55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.90

$2.45 CA$3.48

-68.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.36

$1.49 CA$2.11

-55.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.21

$10.75 CA$15.27

-72.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.77

$10.88 CA$15.46

-25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.00

$3.34 CA$4.75

-64.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.67

$3.03 CA$4.31

-17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$2.16 CA$3.07

-54.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$253

$49.18 CA$69.9

1.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.17

$2.41 CA$3.43

-49.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.64

$1.79 CA$2.55

-48.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.25

$24.03 CA$34.16

-62.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.07 CA$1.51

21.50%

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

$23.9K R$120.5K

$27.9K CA$39.6K

-14.30%

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

$32.9K R$165.9K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

64.91%

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

$133 R$673

$122 CA$174

9.01%

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

$10.82 R$54.6

$38.27 CA$54.4

-71.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$31.75 CA$45.13

-27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$42.78 CA$60.8

-28.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$19.28 CA$27.41

65.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.65

$10.33 CA$14.69

-22.07%

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

$598 R$3,016

$795 CA$1,130

-24.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.7K

$17.1K CA$24.3K

-21.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$212

$61.8 CA$87.8

-31.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$251

$36.21 CA$51.5

37.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$376

$85.4 CA$121

-12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$347

$121 CA$172

-43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,558

$1,156 CA$1,643

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,672

$864 CA$1,229

-38.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,695

$2,081 CA$2,958

-36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,814

$1,817 CA$2,583

-58.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$3,735 CA$5,309

7.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,228

$2,655 CA$3,773

-75.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.99

139.08%

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 Stratford, ON: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Stratford, ON

$864 44.1% 63.3% $335

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Stratford, ON

$375 19.1% 74.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Stratford, ON

$192 9.8% 15.1% $25

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Stratford, ON

$257 13.1% 55.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Stratford, ON

$137 7% 29.7% $31

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5% 15.5% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2% 35.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,156 in Stratford, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stratford, ON pays 315% 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 $49.00 in Stratford, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $375 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

01:14 1:14 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

31,465

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.198 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Stratford, ON 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Stratford, ON differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $1,958 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 315% lower in Stratford, ON. 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: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,156 in Stratford, ON. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $49.00 in Stratford, ON. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,958 in Stratford, ON – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,958 in Stratford, ON, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Stratford, ON. 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 52% less than in Stratford, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.