Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Yaguajay

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaguajay: $1,226 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Yaguajay
Learn more

Yaguajay Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Yaguajay

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,226 in Yaguajay.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Yaguajay $1,226

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,716 in Yaguajay.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Yaguajay $1,716

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,206 in Yaguajay.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Yaguajay $2,206

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 5% more expensive than in Yaguajay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Yaguajay 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.96 CUP 143

68.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$17.93 CUP 430

125.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$6.84 CUP 164

25.00%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$1.26 CUP 30.35

88.89%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.22 CUP 29.21

31.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.13 CUP 27.13

-8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.53 CUP 36.64

61.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$1.71 CUP 41.15

116.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.96 CUP 70.9

-59.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$0.78 CUP 18.83

162.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.33 CUP 55.9

-45.06%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$3.03 CUP 72.6

-24.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$5.69 CUP 136

89.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$5.23 CUP 126

-15.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$11.95 CUP 287

-17.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$4.80 CUP 115

-41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.12 CUP 26.97

58.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$1.28 CUP 30.80

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.37 CUP 33.00

31.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.77 CUP 42.51

-31.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$2.78 CUP 66.8

-62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.01 CUP 24.29

-23.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.11 CUP 26.65

-39.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$3.43 CUP 82.4

-12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$9.92 CUP 238

-18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.76 CUP 42.33

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$1.99 CUP 47.86

26.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.19 CUP 4.55

421.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$20.35 CUP 488

146.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$2.02 CUP 48.41

-39.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$0.42 CUP 10.04

119.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$20.03 CUP 481

-55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.23 CUP 29.53

5.69%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$66.3K CUP 1.6M

-63.99%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$76.3K CUP 1.8M

-56.96%

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

$133 R$676

$34.74 CUP 834

284.00%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$39.85 CUP 956

-72.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$253 CUP 6,082

-90.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$40.52 CUP 972

-24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$15.07 CUP 362

111.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$0.98 CUP 23.51

721.43%

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

$598 R$3,029

$116 CUP 2,777

416.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$11.3K CUP 271.1K

18.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$39.27 CUP 942

7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$30.47 CUP 731

63.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$73.7 CUP 1,769

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$78.5 CUP 1,883

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$365 CUP 8,764

147.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$385 CUP 9,246

37.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,024 CUP 24.6K

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$607 CUP 14.6K

24.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$385 CUP 9,241

941.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$339 CUP 8,145

359.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$53.0 CUP 1,272

1106.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.33

43.22%

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 Yaguajay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Yaguajay

$385 31.4% 27.2% $144

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Yaguajay

$242 19.7% 12.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Yaguajay

$328 26.8% 96.3% $161

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Yaguajay

$104 8.5% 37.1% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Yaguajay

$100 8.1% 5.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Yaguajay

$25 2.1% 57.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Yaguajay

$42 3.5% 9.4% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $365 in Yaguajay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 1107% 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 $18.00 in Yaguajay. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $242, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇺 Yaguajay

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

13,827

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Yaguajay 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Yaguajay

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 Yaguajay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Yaguajay differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $1,226 including rent). Yaguajay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1107% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $365 in Yaguajay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Yaguajay – a meal for two runs $18.00 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 $1,226 in Yaguajay – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,226 in Yaguajay versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaguajay but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Yaguajay 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 Yaguajay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.