Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Louis, MO and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,440 in Saint Louis, MO, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
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Saint Louis, MO Living Index
63

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

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Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,440

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,440 in Saint Louis, MO versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Saint Louis, MO $2,440
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,667 in Saint Louis, MO versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Saint Louis, MO $3,667
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,895 in Saint Louis, MO versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Saint Louis, MO $4,895
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Saint Louis, MO is roughly 90% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Louis, MO is 82% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 $18.17

$9.98 R$49.83

82.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 $77.8

$40.34 R$201

92.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$8.48 R$42.35

38.68%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$2.36 R$11.80

120.34%

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

$2.41 $2.41

$1.63 R$8.13

47.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.01 R$5.06

69.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.44 R$12.19

134.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.69 R$18.43

93.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.15 R$5.72

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.07 R$10.34

88.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$1.29 R$6.42

359.69%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.27 R$11.32

77.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$11.00 R$54.9

17.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.86 $15.86

$4.31 R$21.51

267.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.86 $20.86

$9.74 R$48.63

114.17%

Apples (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$2.83 R$14.12

204.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.84 R$9.17

30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$1.60 R$7.96

258.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$1.80 R$9.00

192.78%

Potato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.26 R$6.28

246.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.07 R$5.34

359.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.75 R$3.75

290.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.66 R$3.29

327.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.05 R$15.21

164.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$8.18 R$40.84

80.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.19 R$5.92

145.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.39 R$11.92

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.01 R$5.06

151.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 $78.0

$50.2 R$250

55.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.27 R$6.33

181.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.90 R$4.51

74.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.91 $39.91

$9.44 R$47.13

322.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.33 R$6.65

-24.06%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$23.4K R$117.0K

52.24%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-25.65%

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

$246 $246

$134 R$666

84.25%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$12.23 R$61.0

461.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$22.65 R$113

234.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.38 $32.38

$31.56 R$158

2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 $19.91

$30.87 R$154

-35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$8.23 R$41.07

67.56%

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

$1,422 $1,422

$603 R$3,011

135.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$13.2K R$66.1K

78.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$41.62 R$208

41.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 $39.39

$49.94 R$249

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$75.0 R$375

15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$68.3 R$341

75.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$905 R$4,519

68.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 $919

$527 R$2,633

74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$1,346 R$6,720

58.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 $1,702

$774 R$3,865

119.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,391 $1,391

$3,981 R$19.9K

-65.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 $1,857

$1,562 R$7,798

18.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,116 $4,116

$643 R$3,210

540.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.93

-43.67%

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

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: 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

Saint Louis, MO

$919 38.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 42.6% $391

Groceries & Markets

Saint Louis, MO

$498 20.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 56.9% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Louis, MO

$390 16.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 56.9% $222

Eating Out

Saint Louis, MO

$302 12.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 45.8% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Louis, MO

$137 5.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 23% $32

Getting Around

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 39.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Louis, MO

$60 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 19.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Saint Louis, MO and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Louis, MO pays 540% 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: $78.0 in Saint Louis, MO vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $498 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

11:25 11:25 AM

2 h ahead of Saint Louis, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,578

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Saint Louis, MO Rio de Janeiro 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Saint Louis, MO
Rio de Janeiro

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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

Saint Louis, MO vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Louis, MO and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,440 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 540% higher in Saint Louis, MO, 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: $1,522 in Saint Louis, MO 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 $78.0 in Saint Louis, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,440 per month in Saint Louis, MO versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,440 in Saint Louis, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Saint Louis, MO. 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 90% less than in Saint Louis, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.