Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Upper Marlboro, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,182 a month against $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Upper Marlboro, MD
Learn more

Upper Marlboro, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,636

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Upper Marlboro, MD

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 Upper Marlboro, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Upper Marlboro, MD $2,636

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,086 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Upper Marlboro, MD $4,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $5,535 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Upper Marlboro, MD $5,535

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 55% less than in Upper Marlboro, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 13% below, Upper Marlboro, MD is 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$22.87 $22.87

-60.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$91.6 $91.6

-59.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$10.18 $10.18

-21.22%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$6.25 $6.25

-64.96%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$2.79 $2.79

-47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$2.63 $2.63

-62.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$9.95 $9.95

-79.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$9.86 $9.86

-65.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$1.29 $1.29

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$4.51 $4.51

-56.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$7.15 $7.15

-83.64%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$5.78 $5.78

-61.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$16.40 $16.40

-38.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$16.24 $16.24

-74.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$18.67 $18.67

-50.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$5.07 $5.07

-46.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.65 $1.65

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$5.14 $5.14

-70.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$5.21 $5.21

-68.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$2.94 $2.94

-61.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$2.01 $2.01

-50.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$2.07 $2.07

-68.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$2.80 $2.80

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$13.34 $13.34

-79.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$14.75 $14.75

-49.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$1.70 $1.70

-35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$5.07 $5.07

-54.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$1.97 $1.97

-54.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$64.5 $64.5

-17.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$4.06 $4.06

-71.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$1.62 $1.62

-51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$24.88 $24.88

-66.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$1.14 $1.14

6.14%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

-22.74%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

18.66%

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

$124 R$665

$158 $158

-21.41%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$82.7 $82.7

-87.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$76.7 $76.7

-72.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$41.18 $41.18

-31.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$17.03 $17.03

-55.26%

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

$563 R$3,010

$2,241 $2,241

-74.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$41.3K $41.3K

-70.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$47.02 $47.02

-16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$35.91 $35.91

29.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$105 $105

-34.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$119 $119

-46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$1,413 $1,413

-45.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$1,160 $1,160

-59.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$2,465 $2,465

-43.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$2,180 $2,180

-66.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$2,741 $2,741

23.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$2,336 $2,336

-32.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

$7,979 $7,979

-92.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.63

79.94%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Upper Marlboro, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$1.2K 44% 145% $687

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$481 18.2% 139% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$318 12.1% 105% $162

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$380 14.4% 154% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$138 5.2% 41.2% $40

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$85 3.2% 37.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$75 2.9% 72.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upper Marlboro, MD pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $92 in Upper Marlboro, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $481 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Upper Marlboro, MD

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

700

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Upper Marlboro, MD 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Upper Marlboro, MD

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 Upper Marlboro, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD, so Rio de Janeiro is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Rio de Janeiro. 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: $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD. 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 $37 versus $92 in Upper Marlboro, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD – Rio de Janeiro is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Upper Marlboro, MD. 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 55% less than in Upper Marlboro, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.