Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Vieux Fort

For one person, living is cheaper in Vieux Fort: $105 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Vieux Fort

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Vieux Fort

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $105 in Vieux Fort.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Vieux Fort $105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $162 in Vieux Fort.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Vieux Fort $162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $218 in Vieux Fort.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Vieux Fort $218

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 1118% more expensive than in Vieux Fort, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 4% lower, Vieux Fort 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$8.20 EC$22.15

21.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$9.46 EC$25.55

-10.36%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

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

$1.63 R$8.13

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.18 EC$3.19

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.51 EC$4.08

-33.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Vieux Fort: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Vieux Fort

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Vieux Fort

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Vieux Fort

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Vieux Fort

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Vieux Fort

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Vieux Fort

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Vieux Fort

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇱🇨 Vieux Fort

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

16,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Vieux Fort 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Vieux Fort

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 Vieux Fort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Vieux Fort differ by about 1118% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $105 including rent). Vieux Fort is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro and $158 in Vieux Fort 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.

At $105 in Vieux Fort versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vieux Fort but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Vieux Fort 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 Vieux Fort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1118% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.