Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,666 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index
63

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

Jump to prices

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,666

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,666 in San Salvador versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

San Salvador $1,666
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,465 in San Salvador versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

San Salvador $2,465
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in San Salvador versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

San Salvador $3,263
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in San Salvador is roughly 30% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Salvador is 24% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 $6.72

$9.98 R$49.83

-32.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.39 $45.39

$40.34 R$201

12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 $7.07

$8.48 R$42.35

-16.63%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$2.36 R$11.80

49.58%

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

$1.13 $1.13

$1.63 R$8.13

-30.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.01 R$5.06

-15.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.44 R$12.19

-16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.69 R$18.43

-4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.15 R$5.72

62.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.07 R$10.34

39.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.29 R$6.42

8.53%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

$2.27 R$11.32

36.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$11.00 R$54.9

-28.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.31 R$21.51

60.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.74 R$48.63

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.83 R$14.12

79.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.84 R$9.17

-24.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.60 R$7.96

58.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.80 R$9.00

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.26 R$6.28

127.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.07 R$5.34

206.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.75 R$3.75

29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.66 R$3.29

46.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.05 R$15.21

33.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$8.18 R$40.84

49.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.19 R$5.92

84.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.39 R$11.92

19.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.01 R$5.06

-66.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.66 $37.66

$50.2 R$250

-24.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 $6.04

$1.27 R$6.33

375.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.90 R$4.51

236.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.11 $20.11

$9.44 R$47.13

113.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.33 R$6.65

-3.01%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$23.4K R$117.0K

5.64%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-19.67%

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

$130 $130

$134 R$666

-2.27%

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

$21.57 $21.57

$12.23 R$61.0

76.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.03 $43.03

$22.65 R$113

89.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.99 $31.99

$31.56 R$158

1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.57 $21.57

$30.87 R$154

-30.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 $5.06

$8.23 R$41.07

-38.52%

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

$165 $165

$603 R$3,011

-72.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,640 $4,640

$13.2K R$66.1K

-64.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 $68.2

$41.62 R$208

63.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 $46.79

$49.94 R$249

-6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$75.0 R$375

60.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$68.3 R$341

70.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 $906

$905 R$4,519

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 $755

$527 R$2,633

43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$1,346 R$6,720

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 $1,343

$774 R$3,865

73.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,813 $2,813

$3,981 R$19.9K

-29.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,845 $1,845

$1,562 R$7,798

18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$372 $372

$643 R$3,210

-42.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

11.93

-28.75%

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

Last update for San Salvador: October 6, 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

San Salvador

$755 46.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 30.2% $228

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$287 17.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 25.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$195 11.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 13.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 33.2% $53

Eating Out

San Salvador

$142 8.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 15% $21

Getting Around

San Salvador

$60 3.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$42 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 14% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in San Salvador and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in San Salvador vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

06:01 6:01 AM

3 h ahead of San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Salvador Rio de Janeiro 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

San Salvador
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

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

San Salvador and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,666 vs $1,285 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Rio de Janeiro. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $906 in San Salvador 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 $45.00 in San Salvador. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,666 per month in San Salvador versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,666 in San Salvador, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. 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 30% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.