Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,417 in Saguenay, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Saguenay despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index
63

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

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Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,417

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,417 in Saguenay versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Saguenay $1,417
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,221 in Saguenay versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Saguenay $2,221
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,025 in Saguenay versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Saguenay $3,025
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Saguenay is roughly 10% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saguenay is 6% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.47 CA$22.05

$9.98 R$49.83

55.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.88 CA$61.1

$40.34 R$201

6.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 CA$15.31

$8.48 R$42.35

26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.64 CA$5.19

$2.36 R$11.80

54.24%

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

$1.50 CA$2.14

$1.63 R$8.13

-7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.73

$1.01 R$5.06

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 CA$7.43

$2.44 R$12.19

113.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CA$7.45

$3.69 R$18.43

41.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.92

$1.15 R$5.72

78.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 CA$4.03

$2.07 R$10.34

36.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.83

$1.29 R$6.42

217.05%

Eggs

$2.74 CA$3.91

$2.27 R$11.32

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 CA$12.35

$11.00 R$54.9

-21.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 CA$10.17

$4.31 R$21.51

65.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 CA$14.44

$9.74 R$48.63

4.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$6.05

$2.83 R$14.12

49.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.84 R$9.17

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.27

$1.60 R$7.96

131.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$1.80 R$9.00

117.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.17

$1.26 R$6.28

132.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.93

$1.07 R$5.34

157.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$0.75 R$3.75

222.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 CA$1.14

$0.66 R$3.29

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 CA$16.84

$3.05 R$15.21

287.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 CA$16.10

$8.18 R$40.84

38.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$1.19 R$5.92

169.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 CA$4.79

$2.39 R$11.92

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 CA$3.86

$1.01 R$5.06

168.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 CA$80.0

$50.2 R$250

11.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$4.01

$1.27 R$6.33

121.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$2.00

$0.90 R$4.51

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.62 CA$39.36

$9.44 R$47.13

192.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.63

$1.33 R$6.65

-14.29%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$23.4K R$117.0K

17.74%

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

$19.5K CA$27.8K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-41.97%

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

$62.9 CA$89.7

$134 R$666

-52.88%

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

$31.16 CA$44.41

$12.23 R$61.0

154.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.94 CA$64.1

$22.65 R$113

98.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.19 CA$34.48

$31.56 R$158

-23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.72 CA$26.68

$30.87 R$154

-39.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 CA$12.64

$8.23 R$41.07

7.78%

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

$681 CA$970

$603 R$3,011

12.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,086 CA$13.0K

$13.2K R$66.1K

-31.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 CA$81.2

$41.62 R$208

36.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.40 CA$49.03

$49.94 R$249

-31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 CA$122

$75.0 R$375

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$153

$68.3 R$341

57.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 CA$868

$905 R$4,519

-32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 CA$654

$527 R$2,633

-13.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 CA$1,678

$1,346 R$6,720

-12.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 CA$1,326

$774 R$3,865

20.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,613 CA$8,001

$3,981 R$19.9K

41.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,390 CA$4,832

$1,562 R$7,798

117.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,552 CA$3,638

$643 R$3,210

296.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

11.93

-62.78%

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

Last update for Saguenay: October 3, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saguenay

$459 32.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 15% $69

Groceries & Markets

Saguenay

$311 22.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 31% $96

Eating Out

Saguenay

$247 17.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 33.7% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saguenay

$139 9.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 21.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Saguenay

$128 9.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 17.3% $22

Getting Around

Saguenay

$77 5.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 21.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Saguenay

$42 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 14.5% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $609 in Saguenay and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saguenay pays 297% 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: $43.00 in Saguenay vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

1 h ahead of Saguenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,723

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saguenay Rio de Janeiro 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Saguenay
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

Saguenay vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saguenay and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,417 vs $1,285 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 297% higher in Saguenay, 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: $609 in Saguenay versus $905 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 $43.00 in Saguenay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,417 per month in Saguenay versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,417 in Saguenay, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Saguenay. 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 10% less than in Saguenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.