Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rock Island, IL and in Rio de Janeiro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rock Island, IL and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,664 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Rock Island, IL $2,664
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,843 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Rock Island, IL $3,843
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,023 in Rock Island, IL versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Rock Island, IL $5,023
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Rock Island, IL is roughly 109% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rock Island, IL is 97% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$9.38 R$47.54

113.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$40.00 R$203

67.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$8.34 R$42.28

53.96%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$2.29 R$11.62

157.64%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.59 R$8.05

97.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.01 R$5.10

137.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$2.14 R$10.85

230.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.66 R$18.55

117.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.13 R$5.72

-16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.09 R$10.60

67.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.25 R$6.36

238.40%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.25 R$11.39

64.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$10.92 R$55.3

38.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$4.36 R$22.10

201.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$9.60 R$48.66

109.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.85 R$14.46

65.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.81 R$9.16

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.58 R$8.02

225.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.83 R$9.28

161.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.20 R$6.10

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.06 R$5.35

195.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.75 R$3.81

188.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.68 R$3.45

255.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$2.94 R$14.90

264.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$7.98 R$40.43

94.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.18 R$5.98

125.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.42 R$12.26

80.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.94 R$4.78

93.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.20 R$6.10

230.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.83 R$4.20

139.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$8.97 R$45.48

393.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.29 R$6.53

-22.48%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$22.8K R$115.5K

36.90%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-24.51%

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

$267 $267

$134 R$681

98.73%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$10.73 R$54.4

387.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$22.84 R$116

253.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$30.16 R$153

49.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$7.73 R$39.17

95.60%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$584 R$2,960

194.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$12.8K R$64.9K

85.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$41.12 R$208

56.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$49.26 R$250

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$73.7 R$373

46.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$65.9 R$334

81.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$900 R$4,561

101.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$527 R$2,673

134.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,332 R$6,754

96.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$748 R$3,790

170.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$3,990 R$20.2K

-27.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$1,560 R$7,908

46.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.93

-43.92%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 57.4% $711

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 50.4% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 58% $232

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 54.6% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 32.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 39.5% $30

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 181% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,812 in Rock Island, IL and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rock Island, IL vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

2 h ahead of Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Rock Island, IL Rio de Janeiro 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rock Island, IL
Rio de Janeiro

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

Rock Island, IL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rock Island, IL and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,664 vs $1,273 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Rock Island, IL and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro 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: $1,812 in Rock Island, IL versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,719 in Rock Island, IL versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $67.0 in Rock Island, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Rock Island, IL. 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 109% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.