Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Ventanas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $794 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Ventanas
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Ventanas Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Ventanas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $794 in Ventanas.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Ventanas $794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,368 in Ventanas.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Ventanas $1,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,941 in Ventanas.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Ventanas $1,941

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 62% more expensive than in Ventanas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Ventanas 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.09 $4.09

145.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$52.8 $52.8

-23.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$9.10 $9.10

-6.04%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.84 $2.84

-16.20%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.87 $0.87

85.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.70 $0.70

47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$3.09 $3.09

-20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$4.13 $4.13

-10.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.21 $1.21

-1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.01 $2.01

1.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.47 $1.47

-12.93%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.06 $2.06

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.81 $6.81

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$5.11 $5.11

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$9.23 $9.23

6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$1.54 $1.54

82.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.18 $1.18

50.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$1.01 $1.01

58.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.90 $0.90

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.22 $1.22

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.98 $0.98

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.88 $0.88

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.95 $0.95

-29.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$5.99 $5.99

-49.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$11.87 $11.87

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.56 $1.56

-23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.19 $2.19

14.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.33 $0.33

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$17.38 $17.38

188.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.33 $1.33

-8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.72 $1.72

-46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$11.98 $11.98

-25.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.85 $0.85

52.94%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$20.7K $20.7K

15.20%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$31.5K $31.5K

4.34%

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

$133 R$676

$39.46 $39.46

238.06%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$14.92 $14.92

-27.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$26.27 $26.27

-12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$31.36 $31.36

-1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$15.54 $15.54

104.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$7.67 $7.67

4.95%

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

$598 R$3,029

$374 $374

59.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,644 $5,644

137.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$66.4 $66.4

-36.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$41.14 $41.14

20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$127 $127

-41.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$91.8 $91.8

-25.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$312 $312

189.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$167 $167

216.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$681 $681

94.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$402 $402

87.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,128 $1,128

255.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$726 $726

115.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.05

18.71%

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 Ventanas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Ventanas

$167 21.1% 68.4% $362

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Ventanas

$200 25.2% 6.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Ventanas

$81 10.2% 51.7% $86

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Ventanas

$124 15.6% 24.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Ventanas

$147 18.5% 38.9% $41

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Ventanas

$29 3.6% 52.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Ventanas

$47 5.9% 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $312 in Ventanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $53.0 in Ventanas. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $200, with Ventanas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Ventanas

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

23:11 11:11 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

38,168

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Ventanas 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Ventanas

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 Ventanas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Ventanas differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $794 including rent). Ventanas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,191 in Ventanas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $312 in Ventanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ventanas – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $794 in Ventanas – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Ventanas versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ventanas but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Ventanas 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 Ventanas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.