Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Texistepeque

For one person, living is cheaper in Texistepeque: $209 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Texistepeque

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $209 in Texistepeque.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Texistepeque $209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $338 in Texistepeque.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Texistepeque $338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $467 in Texistepeque.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Texistepeque $467

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 516% more expensive than in Texistepeque, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Texistepeque 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.99

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.95

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

$1.61 R$8.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.62

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$1.47 $1.47

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$1.89 $1.89

8.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$2.07 $2.07

-38.16%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$1.83 $1.83

25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$2.61 $2.61

312.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.18

$4.54 $4.54

-2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.46

$6.74 $6.74

45.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.14

$1.89 $1.89

48.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

$2.18 $2.18

-18.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.07

$2.15 $2.15

-25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

$2.46 $2.46

-26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$1.95 $1.95

-37.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$1.80 $1.80

-42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$1.01 $1.01

-23.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

$0.97 $0.97

-30.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.61

$11.92 $11.92

-32.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

$2.12 $2.12

-43.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

$3.04 $3.04

-17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$252

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.15

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.08

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

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

$133 R$671

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

$10.82 R$54.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.50

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

$598 R$3,005

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,541

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,662

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,669

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,800

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,845

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,216

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Texistepeque: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Texistepeque

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Texistepeque

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Texistepeque

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Texistepeque

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Texistepeque

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Texistepeque

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Texistepeque

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇸🇻 Texistepeque

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,401

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.64 BRL (1 BRL = 0.177 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Texistepeque 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Texistepeque

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 Texistepeque: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Texistepeque differ by about 516% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $209 including rent). Texistepeque is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $314 in Texistepeque to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $209 in Texistepeque – a 516% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $209 in Texistepeque versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Texistepeque but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Texistepeque 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 Texistepeque gentler on the wallet – expenses run 516% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.