Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Windsor

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,225 in Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Windsor
Learn more

Windsor Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Windsor

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,225 in Windsor.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Windsor $2,225

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,068 in Windsor.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Windsor $3,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,910 in Windsor.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Windsor $3,910

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 42% less than in Windsor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 4% below, Windsor is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

$14.04 CA$20.01

-28.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

$62.3 CA$88.8

-35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

$10.37 CA$14.78

-18.23%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

$3.57 CA$5.09

-33.89%

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

$1.63 R$8.13

$2.50 CA$3.56

-34.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.79 CA$2.56

-43.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

$5.00 CA$7.13

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

$5.77 CA$8.22

-36.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.79 CA$2.56

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

$2.03 CA$2.90

1.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$3.03 CA$4.31

-57.43%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

$2.81 CA$4.01

-19.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

$9.83 CA$14.01

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

$10.04 CA$14.30

-57.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

$13.88 CA$19.79

-29.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

$3.85 CA$5.49

-26.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

$1.01 CA$1.45

82.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$2.95 CA$4.20

-45.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

$3.57 CA$5.09

-49.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

$1.98 CA$2.82

-36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

$2.13 CA$3.04

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.22 CA$3.16

-66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$1.25 CA$1.78

-47.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

$12.39 CA$17.66

-75.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

$11.60 CA$16.53

-29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

$1.91 CA$2.73

-37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

$3.23 CA$4.60

-26.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.59 CA$3.69

-61.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

$85.1 CA$121

-41.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.31 CA$3.29

-45.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

$0.97 CA$1.38

-7.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

$13.93 CA$19.85

-32.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.22 CA$1.74

9.02%

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

$27.3K CA$38.9K

-14.12%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$19.2K CA$27.3K

75.08%

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

$134 R$666

$181 CA$258

-26.20%

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

$12.23 R$61.0

$37.70 CA$53.7

-67.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

$55.1 CA$78.5

-58.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$44.44 CA$63.4

-28.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

$28.33 CA$40.39

8.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

$10.33 CA$14.73

-20.33%

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

$603 R$3,011

$496 CA$707

21.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

$4,221 CA$6,017

213.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

$43.41 CA$61.9

-4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

$33.01 CA$47.06

51.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

$80.4 CA$115

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

$80.6 CA$115

-15.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$1,166 CA$1,662

-22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

$1,159 CA$1,652

-54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

$1,789 CA$2,551

-24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

$1,507 CA$2,148

-48.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

$2,992 CA$4,265

33.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

$2,960 CA$4,219

-47.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

$2,957 CA$4,215

-78.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.71

153.29%

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 Windsor: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Windsor

$1.2K 51.3% 120% $631

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Windsor

$311 13.8% 45% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Windsor

$274 12.1% 62.5% $105

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Windsor

$240 10.6% 46.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Windsor

$107 4.7% 1.1% $1.1

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Windsor

$103 4.5% 71% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Windsor

$65 2.9% 35.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,166 in Windsor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windsor pays 360% 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 $62.0 in Windsor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $311 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Windsor

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

217,188

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Windsor 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Windsor

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 Windsor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Windsor differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $2,225 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 360% lower in Windsor. 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: $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,166 in Windsor. 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 $40.00 versus $62.0 in Windsor. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,225 in Windsor – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,225 in Windsor, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Windsor. 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 73% less than in Windsor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.