Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Suzano

For one person, living is cheaper in Suzano: $785 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Suzano
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Suzano Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Suzano

🇧🇷 Brazil

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $785 in Suzano.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Suzano $785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,285 in Suzano.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Suzano $1,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,785 in Suzano.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Suzano $1,785

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 51% more expensive than in Suzano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Suzano 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.54

$4.88 R$26.63

67.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$203

$33.41 R$182

11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.08

$5.91 R$32.26

27.24%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.49

$2.14 R$11.66

-1.87%

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

$1.36 R$7.44

$1.27 R$6.96

7.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.25

$0.87 R$4.75

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.79

$2.25 R$12.28

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.80

$3.71 R$20.28

-12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.93

$0.94 R$5.12

15.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.19

$1.79 R$9.76

4.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.14

$0.88 R$4.78

27.27%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.03

$1.82 R$9.96

20.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.1

$9.67 R$52.8

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.44

$2.99 R$16.32

37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.5

$7.29 R$39.81

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.15

$1.51 R$8.27

71.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.21

$1.50 R$8.19

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.02

$1.19 R$6.51

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.37

$1.24 R$6.79

38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.31

$1.17 R$6.39

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.45

$0.76 R$4.17

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.59

$0.64 R$3.49

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.33

$0.39 R$2.11

56.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.70

$1.68 R$9.17

60.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.33

$5.61 R$30.65

28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.86

$1.37 R$7.48

-21.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.22

$2.37 R$12.93

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.78

$1.03 R$5.63

-14.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$286

$44.02 R$240

18.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.44

$1.02 R$5.59

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.69

$0.69 R$3.75

-1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.56

$8.73 R$47.68

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.03 R$5.64

16.50%

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

$21.9K R$119.4K

$21.6K R$118.1K

1.17%

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

$31.0K R$169.3K

$26.9K R$147.2K

15.06%

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

$126 R$686

$38.41 R$210

227.05%

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

$10.14 R$55.4

$13.90 R$75.9

-27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$114

$21.18 R$116

-1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$24.19 R$132

17.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$27.61 R$151

4.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.43

$6.61 R$36.08

11.95%

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

$537 R$2,932

$166 R$908

222.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$86.8K

$10.1K R$55.3K

56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$211

$58.0 R$316

-33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$246

$51.9 R$283

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$375

$84.6 R$462

-18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$350

$74.1 R$404

-13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,192

$293 R$1,597

162.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,680

$224 R$1,224

118.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$7,964

$650 R$3,550

124.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,056

$454 R$2,476

63.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.2K

$884 R$4,825

276.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,475

$815 R$4,449

90.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,679

$422 R$2,305

59.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

49.13%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Suzano: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Suzano

$224 28.6% 54.3% $267

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Suzano

$166 21.2% 15.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Suzano

$73 9.4% 53.1% $83

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Suzano

$110 14% 21% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Suzano

$121 15.4% 24% $23

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Suzano

$53 6.7% 12.9% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Suzano

$37 4.8% 13.6% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Rio de Janeiro and $293 in Suzano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $33 in Suzano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $166 per month, with Suzano cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Suzano

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

307,429

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rio de Janeiro Suzano 320 km

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Rio de Janeiro
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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 Suzano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $785 in Suzano, so Suzano is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $293 in Suzano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Suzano – a meal for two runs $33 versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $785 in Suzano – Suzano is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $785 in Suzano versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suzano but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Suzano 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 Suzano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.