Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Thunder Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,179 in Thunder Bay, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
Learn more

Thunder Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Thunder Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,179 in Thunder Bay.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Thunder Bay $2,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,301 in Thunder Bay.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Thunder Bay $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,423 in Thunder Bay.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Thunder Bay $4,423

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 41% less than in Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Thunder Bay is 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$17.59 CA$24.87

-42.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$60.1 CA$84.9

-32.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$12.43 CA$17.57

-31.21%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$3.31 CA$4.68

-28.10%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.86 CA$2.63

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.56 CA$2.20

-33.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$5.33 CA$7.53

-53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$4.98 CA$7.04

-25.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.28 CA$3.23

-47.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.59 CA$3.67

-20.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$3.33 CA$4.71

-61.56%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$3.58 CA$5.06

-36.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$16.32 CA$23.08

-34.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$15.86 CA$22.42

-72.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$16.23 CA$22.94

-39.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$3.31 CA$4.68

-15.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.16 CA$1.64

53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$3.91 CA$5.53

-59.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$3.48 CA$4.92

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$2.48 CA$3.51

-50.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$2.12 CA$3.00

-50.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$2.85 CA$4.03

-72.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$2.27 CA$3.22

-70.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$10.55 CA$14.92

-71.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$8.93 CA$12.62

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.01 CA$2.85

-40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.01 CA$4.26

-16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.24 CA$3.17

-55.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$63.5 CA$89.7

-21.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$5.00 CA$7.07

-75.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$2.05 CA$2.90

-55.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$34.37 CA$48.58

-73.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.18 CA$1.66

10.17%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$27.3K CA$38.6K

-12.60%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

73.84%

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

$133 R$676

$160 CA$226

-16.39%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$56.8 CA$80.3

-80.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$80.8 CA$114

-71.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$28.63 CA$40.48

7.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$17.26 CA$24.41

84.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$17.28 CA$24.43

-53.41%

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

$598 R$3,029

$663 CA$937

-9.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$77.0 CA$109

-45.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$34.56 CA$48.86

43.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$76.5 CA$108

-2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$131 CA$185

-47.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$1,040 CA$1,471

-13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$925 CA$1,308

-42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,837 CA$2,597

-27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$1,675 CA$2,368

-54.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$2,601 CA$3,677

-75.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.58

160.48%

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 Thunder Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Thunder Bay

$925 42.5% 74.7% $396

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Thunder Bay

$394 18.1% 83.7% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Thunder Bay

$297 13.6% 77.8% $130

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Thunder Bay

$268 12.3% 62.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 35.6% $38

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Thunder Bay

$88 4% 46.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Thunder Bay

$63 2.9% 34.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,040 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thunder Bay pays 307% 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $394 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

15:34 3:34 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

107,909

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Thunder Bay 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Thunder Bay

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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Thunder Bay differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $2,179 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 307% lower in Thunder Bay. 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 $1,040 in Thunder Bay. 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay. 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 $2,179 in Thunder Bay – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,179 in Thunder Bay, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Thunder Bay. 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 69% less than in Thunder Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.