Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Timbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Timbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $697 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,108 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,518 in Timbo.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 36% more expensive than in Timbo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Timbo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.04

$4.63 R$23.50

57.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$185

$31.99 R$162

13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$32.76

$3.70 R$18.78

74.59%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.64

$1.79 R$9.06

6.15%

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

$1.29 R$6.54

$0.98 R$4.97

31.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.40

$0.61 R$3.08

42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.86

$1.73 R$8.77

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.88

$2.12 R$10.75

28.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.70

$0.80 R$4.06

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.64

$1.38 R$7.00

23.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.55

$0.79 R$4.03

88.61%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.88

$1.68 R$8.51

16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.47

$7.04 R$35.72

10.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.11

$3.17 R$16.10

12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.94

$6.89 R$34.97

14.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.32

$1.65 R$8.39

47.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.28

$0.60 R$3.04

171.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$0.70 R$3.57

110.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.85

$1.21 R$6.13

28.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.26

$0.92 R$4.65

33.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$0.88 R$4.45

26.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.56 R$2.84

23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.06

$0.72 R$3.64

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.99

$1.45 R$7.37

35.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.29

$4.94 R$25.05

56.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.96 R$4.88

27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.55

$1.84 R$9.35

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.29

$0.93 R$4.71

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$197

$38.50 R$195

0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.70

$1.15 R$5.82

-2.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.30

$0.66 R$3.33

-1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.57

$6.18 R$31.34

19.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.37

$0.93 R$4.70

13.98%

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

$20.3K R$102.8K

$18.8K R$95.6K

7.52%

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

$28.1K R$142.5K

$23.9K R$121.3K

17.45%

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

$101 R$513

$52.0 R$264

94.45%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$11.42 R$58.0

7.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.1

$20.58 R$104

-9.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$132

$22.93 R$116

13.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$123

$21.47 R$109

12.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.08

$5.25 R$26.63

24.19%

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

$539 R$2,737

$218 R$1,108

147.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.2K

$2,569 R$13.0K

354.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$228

$29.27 R$149

53.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$210

$35.61 R$181

16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$387

$54.2 R$275

40.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$313

$44.42 R$225

38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,203

$320 R$1,623

35.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,646

$217 R$1,100

49.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,293

$583 R$2,956

45.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,879

$428 R$2,170

32.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$18.9K

$1,627 R$8,254

128.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,516

$1,189 R$6,033

24.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,043

$672 R$3,411

-10.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

3.00%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 27, 2026

Last update for Timbo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $320 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timbo pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $32.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $144 per month, with Timbo cheaper across the board.

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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Timbo differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($946 vs $697 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Timbo. 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: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $320 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Timbo – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $946 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $697 in Timbo – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $697 in Timbo versus $946 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.