Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roma, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,590 in Roma, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Roma, TX
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Roma, TX Living Index
62

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

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Roma, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roma, TX 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 Roma, TX and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,590 in Roma, TX versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Roma, TX $2,590
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Roma, TX versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Roma, TX $3,815
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Roma, TX versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Roma, TX $5,040
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Roma, TX is roughly 103% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roma, TX is 91% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$9.38 R$47.54

114.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$40.00 R$203

90.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$8.34 R$42.28

40.41%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$2.29 R$11.62

133.62%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.59 R$8.05

68.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.01 R$5.10

92.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.14 R$10.85

181.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.66 R$18.55

95.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.13 R$5.72

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.09 R$10.60

66.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.25 R$6.36

254.40%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$2.25 R$11.39

88.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$10.92 R$55.3

14.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$4.36 R$22.10

160.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 $16.81

$9.60 R$48.66

75.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.85 R$14.46

77.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.81 R$9.16

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.58 R$8.02

179.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.83 R$9.28

159.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.20 R$6.10

129.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.06 R$5.35

177.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.75 R$3.81

194.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.68 R$3.45

241.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$2.94 R$14.90

232.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 $14.82

$7.98 R$40.43

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.18 R$5.98

69.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.42 R$12.26

36.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.94 R$4.78

111.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.19 $26.19

$50.3 R$255

-47.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.20 R$6.10

164.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.83 R$4.20

106.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 $32.20

$8.97 R$45.48

258.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.29 R$6.53

-24.81%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$22.8K R$115.5K

20.63%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-23.74%

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

$195 $195

$134 R$681

45.49%

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

$58.3 $58.3

$10.73 R$54.4

442.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$22.84 R$116

210.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.25 $42.25

$30.16 R$153

40.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.19 $20.19

$31.49 R$160

-35.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.32 $14.32

$7.73 R$39.17

85.25%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$584 R$2,960

149.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

$12.8K R$64.9K

71.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$41.12 R$208

29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 $40.88

$49.26 R$250

-17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$73.7 R$373

21.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$65.9 R$334

74.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$900 R$4,561

80.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$527 R$2,673

145.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,473 $2,473

$1,332 R$6,754

85.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$748 R$3,790

188.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,728 $2,728

$3,990 R$20.2K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 $2,377

$1,560 R$7,908

52.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 $1,310

$640 R$3,246

104.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.93

-44.93%

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

Last update for Roma, TX: October 18, 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

Roma, TX

$1.3K 50%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 59.2% $767

Groceries & Markets

Roma, TX

$397 15.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 46.2% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roma, TX

$325 12.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 48.3% $157

Eating Out

Roma, TX

$323 12.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 51.7% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Roma, TX

$135 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 23.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Roma, TX

$71 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 35.7% $25

Getting Around

Roma, TX

$46 1.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 29.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Roma, TX and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roma, TX pays 105% 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: $76.0 in Roma, TX vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roma, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

19:10 7:10 PM

2 h ahead of Roma, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,561

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Roma, TX Rio de Janeiro 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Roma, TX
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

Roma, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roma, TX and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,590 vs $1,273 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Roma, TX, 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: $1,625 in Roma, TX versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $76.0 in Roma, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,590 per month in Roma, TX versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,590 in Roma, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Roma, TX. 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 103% less than in Roma, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.