Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Sudbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,418 in Sudbury, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Sudbury
Learn more

Sudbury Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Sudbury

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Sudbury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,418 in Sudbury.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Sudbury $2,418

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,538 in Sudbury.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Sudbury $3,538

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,658 in Sudbury.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Sudbury $4,658

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 47% less than in Sudbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Sudbury is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.8

$17.34 CA$24.64

-41.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$204

$68.7 CA$97.6

-41.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.16

$10.47 CA$14.88

-18.34%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.99

$3.05 CA$4.33

-21.97%

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

$1.61 R$8.14

$2.01 CA$2.86

-19.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.64 CA$2.33

-37.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.49

$5.28 CA$7.51

-53.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.69

$6.66 CA$9.47

-44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.33 CA$3.32

-48.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.34

$1.99 CA$2.83

3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.46

$4.45 CA$6.32

-71.24%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.55

$3.60 CA$5.12

-36.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.3

$10.93 CA$15.53

-1.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.26

$13.51 CA$19.21

-67.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.65

$12.60 CA$17.91

-21.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.19

$4.24 CA$6.02

-33.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.99

$1.23 CA$1.75

44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$3.71 CA$5.27

-56.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.07

$4.09 CA$5.81

-55.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.14

$3.86 CA$5.49

-68.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$2.70 CA$3.84

-61.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.90

$1.94 CA$2.75

-60.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.36

$2.23 CA$3.17

-69.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.21

$14.24 CA$20.24

-78.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.77

$13.90 CA$19.76

-41.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.00

$3.10 CA$4.40

-61.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.67

$2.68 CA$3.81

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$2.82 CA$4.00

-64.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$253

$71.2 CA$101

-29.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.17

$3.21 CA$4.56

-61.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.64

$2.28 CA$3.24

-59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.25

$26.88 CA$38.20

-66.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.19 CA$1.70

9.24%

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

$23.9K R$120.5K

$27.9K CA$39.6K

-14.32%

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

$32.9K R$165.9K

$18.4K CA$26.1K

79.05%

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

$133 R$673

$172 CA$245

-22.47%

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

$10.82 R$54.6

$50.2 CA$71.4

-78.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$72.4 CA$103

-68.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$56.6 CA$80.5

-45.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$14.15 CA$20.11

125.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.65

$11.53 CA$16.38

-30.18%

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

$598 R$3,016

$527 CA$749

13.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.7K

$8,346 CA$11.9K

60.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$212

$55.2 CA$78.4

-23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$251

$32.48 CA$46.17

52.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$376

$101 CA$143

-25.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$347

$145 CA$206

-52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,558

$1,348 CA$1,916

-33.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,672

$1,158 CA$1,646

-54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,695

$1,865 CA$2,651

-28.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,814

$1,879 CA$2,670

-59.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$2,613 CA$3,714

53.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

$1,921 CA$2,731

-18.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,228

$2,927 CA$4,160

-78.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.01

138.12%

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 Sudbury: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Sudbury

$1.2K 47.9% 119% $629

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Sudbury

$378 15.6% 75.9% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Sudbury

$295 12.2% 76.3% $128

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Sudbury

$261 10.8% 58.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Sudbury

$150 6.2% 41.7% $44

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Sudbury

$97 4% 62.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Sudbury

$80 3.3% 69.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,348 in Sudbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sudbury pays 358% 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 $69.0 in Sudbury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $378 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Sudbury

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

00:18 12:18 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

161,531

💱 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 Sudbury 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Sudbury

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 Sudbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Sudbury differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $2,418 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 358% lower in Sudbury. 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 $1,348 in Sudbury. 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 $69.0 in Sudbury. 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 $2,418 in Sudbury – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,418 in Sudbury, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Sudbury. 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 88% less than in Sudbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.