Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,808 in Thompson, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,808 in Thompson.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Thompson $1,808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,730 in Thompson.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Thompson $2,730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,652 in Thompson.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Thompson $3,652

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 29% less than in Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Thompson is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$17.37 CA$24.76

-42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$63.3 CA$90.2

-36.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$10.63 CA$15.15

-20.23%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.62 CA$5.16

-34.81%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.96 CA$2.79

-16.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.62 CA$2.30

-37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$5.33 CA$7.59

-54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$5.60 CA$7.99

-34.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$2.13 CA$3.03

-46.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.49 CA$3.56

-16.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$3.20 CA$4.57

-59.69%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$3.33 CA$4.75

-31.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$10.09 CA$14.38

9.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$11.46 CA$16.33

-62.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$14.70 CA$20.96

-33.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$3.65 CA$5.20

-22.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.17 CA$1.67

57.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$3.77 CA$5.38

-57.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$4.16 CA$5.93

-56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$2.40 CA$3.43

-47.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.20 CA$3.14

-51.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.42 CA$3.45

-69.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.60 CA$2.27

-58.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$13.73 CA$19.57

-77.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$12.67 CA$18.06

-35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$2.69 CA$3.83

-55.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.04 CA$4.33

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.20 CA$3.14

-54.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$67.2 CA$95.7

-25.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.86 CA$4.08

-55.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$1.38 CA$1.97

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$22.69 CA$32.34

-58.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.12 CA$1.60

18.75%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.8K CA$39.7K

-15.81%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$20.4K CA$29.1K

64.32%

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

$134 R$666

$137 CA$195

-2.60%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$37.96 CA$54.1

-67.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$53.0 CA$75.5

-57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$41.03 CA$58.5

-23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$15.67 CA$22.33

97.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$10.96 CA$15.62

-24.91%

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

$603 R$3,011

$641 CA$913

-5.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$13.8K CA$19.6K

-3.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$53.5 CA$76.2

-22.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$38.21 CA$54.5

30.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$84.0 CA$120

-10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$102 CA$146

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$672 CA$958

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$674 CA$960

-21.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$1,090 CA$1,554

23.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,116 CA$1,590

-30.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$4,094 CA$5,835

-2.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$4,002 CA$5,705

-60.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$1,531 CA$2,183

-58.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.64

157.11%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Thompson

$674 37.6% 27.7% $146

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Thompson

$350 19.6% 63.3% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Thompson

$228 12.7% 35.4% $60

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Thompson

$266 14.9% 62.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Thompson

$125 7% 18.3% $19

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 42.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Thompson

$63 3.5% 31.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $672 in Thompson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thompson pays 138% 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 $63.0 in Thompson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $350 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

12,829

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Thompson 10,150 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Thompson differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $1,808 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 138% lower in Thompson. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $672 in Thompson. 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 $63.0 in Thompson. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,808 in Thompson – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,808 in Thompson, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Thompson. 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 41% less than in Thompson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.