Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Union City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
Learn more

Union City, TN Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,653 in Union City, TN.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Union City, TN $1,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,486 in Union City, TN.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Union City, TN $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,318 in Union City, TN.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Union City, TN $3,318

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 23% less than in Union City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Union City, TN is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$9.87 $9.87

-4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$50.3 $50.3

-20.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$6.95 $6.95

20.00%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$3.11 $3.11

-26.37%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.20 $2.20

-27.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.56 $1.56

-35.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$3.90 $3.90

-45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$3.89 $3.89

-5.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.92 $0.92

22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.38 $2.38

-12.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$2.07 $2.07

-39.61%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.69 $2.69

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$7.88 $7.88

38.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$8.85 $8.85

-50.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$18.69 $18.69

-48.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$4.44 $4.44

-35.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.26 $1.26

43.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$2.70 $2.70

-41.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$4.43 $4.43

-58.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.19 $2.19

-45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.83 $1.83

-42.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$1.77 $1.77

-57.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$1.38 $1.38

-50.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$6.83 $6.83

-56.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$13.97 $13.97

-42.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$2.05 $2.05

-42.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.84 $1.84

31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.85 $1.85

-49.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$4.85 $4.85

-75.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.52 $1.52

-45.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$21.16 $21.16

-57.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$0.83 $0.83

55.42%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$37.1K $37.1K

-38.56%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$27.3K $27.3K

24.49%

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

$134 R$681

$228 $228

-41.12%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$33.13 $33.13

-67.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$75.2 $75.2

-69.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$41.53 $41.53

-27.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$7.06 $7.06

346.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$14.82 $14.82

-47.84%

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

$584 R$2,960

$1,465 $1,465

-60.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

-58.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$55.4 $55.4

-25.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$43.06 $43.06

14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$90.9 $90.9

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$136 $136

-51.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$724 $724

24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$585 $585

-9.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$1,155 $1,155

15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$1,099 $1,099

-31.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$2,327 $2,327

71.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$2,591 $2,591

-39.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$2,019 $2,019

-68.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.55

82.14%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Union City, TN

$585 35.4% 10.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Union City, TN

$315 19% 47.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Union City, TN

$336 20.4% 100% $169

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Union City, TN

$179 10.9% 15.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Union City, TN

$147 8.9% 41.7% $43

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2% 66.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Union City, TN

$71 4.3% 56% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $724 in Union City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, TN pays 215% 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 $50.0 in Union City, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $315 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

09:50 9:50 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

63,930

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Union City, TN 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Union City, TN differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,653 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 215% lower in Union City, TN. 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: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $724 in Union City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,465 in Union City, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $50.0 in Union City, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,653 in Union City, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Union City, TN. 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 30% less than in Union City, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.