Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Windsor, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,185 a month against $2,299 in Windsor, NS, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Windsor, NS
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Windsor, NS Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,299

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,299 in Windsor, NS.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Windsor, NS $2,299

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,264 in Windsor, NS.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Windsor, NS $3,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,229 in Windsor, NS.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Windsor, NS $4,229

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 48% less than in Windsor, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 12% below, Windsor, NS is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.75

$18.52 CA$25.97

-55.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$34.98 CA$49.03

6.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.27

$10.68 CA$14.97

-29.59%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.54

$3.49 CA$4.90

-39.83%

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

$1.36 R$7.47

$2.07 CA$2.90

-34.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.27

$1.86 CA$2.61

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.84

$4.54 CA$6.36

-56.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.89

$5.81 CA$8.15

-43.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.96

$2.94 CA$4.12

-62.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.24

$2.74 CA$3.84

-31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.17

$3.42 CA$4.80

-67.25%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.08

$3.73 CA$5.24

-41.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.4

$13.48 CA$18.90

-26.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.55

$15.34 CA$21.51

-73.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.7

$13.08 CA$18.33

-29.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.22

$5.77 CA$8.08

-55.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.26

$1.56 CA$2.18

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.05

$4.70 CA$6.59

-68.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.42

$5.71 CA$8.00

-69.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.34

$2.08 CA$2.91

-44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.48

$2.23 CA$3.13

-55.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.60

$2.59 CA$3.63

-74.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.34

$2.13 CA$2.98

-71.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.77

$14.29 CA$20.03

-81.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.52

$14.24 CA$19.96

-49.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.88

$3.31 CA$4.64

-67.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.28

$4.10 CA$5.75

-45.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$2.28 CA$3.19

-61.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$287

$61.5 CA$86.2

-14.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$2.90 CA$4.07

-59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$1.35 CA$1.89

-49.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.79

$21.62 CA$30.31

-59.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.57

$1.28 CA$1.80

-6.25%

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

$21.9K R$120.0K

$26.8K CA$37.6K

-18.53%

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

$31.0K R$170.1K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

43.49%

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

$126 R$689

$126 CA$177

-0.48%

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

$10.14 R$55.6

$31.57 CA$44.26

-67.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$35.35 CA$49.56

-40.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$37.68 CA$52.8

-24.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$18.48 CA$25.90

56.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.62

$13.06 CA$18.31

-43.34%

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

$537 R$2,946

$375 CA$526

43.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.2K

$13.6K CA$19.1K

16.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$212

$59.5 CA$83.4

-34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$247

$35.32 CA$49.51

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$376

$104 CA$146

-34.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$121 CA$170

-47.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,212

$1,278 CA$1,792

-39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,692

$1,118 CA$1,568

-56.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,002

$1,998 CA$2,801

-27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,076

$1,669 CA$2,339

-55.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.2K

$4,370 CA$6,125

-23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,516

$3,537 CA$4,958

-56.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,697

$936 CA$1,312

-28.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.6

159.35%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Windsor, NS: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Windsor, NS

$1.1K 48.6% 128% $628

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Windsor, NS

$427 18.6% 116% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Windsor, NS

$193 8.4% 23.3% $36

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Windsor, NS

$272 11.8% 96.2% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Windsor, NS

$144 6.3% 47.9% $47

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Windsor, NS

$80 3.5% 32.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Windsor, NS

$64 2.8% 47.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,278 in Windsor, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windsor, NS pays 39% 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: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $35 in Windsor, NS. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $427, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Windsor, NS

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

05:12 5:12 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 = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.16 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Windsor, NS 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Windsor, NS

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, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $2,299 in Windsor, NS, so Rio de Janeiro is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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: $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,278 in Windsor, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Windsor, NS – a meal for two runs $35 versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,299 in Windsor, NS – Rio de Janeiro is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,299 in Windsor, NS, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Windsor, NS. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Rio de Janeiro wins on affordability, Windsor, NS on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.