Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Boa Vista and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $821 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Learn more

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$821

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $821 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $821
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,320 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,819 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,819
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Sao Joao da Boa Vista costs roughly 35% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Joao da Boa Vista 39% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 R$28.07

$9.38 R$47.54

-40.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.20 R$118

$40.00 R$203

-42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 R$36.09

$8.34 R$42.28

-14.63%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.00

$2.29 R$11.62

-13.97%

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

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.59 R$8.05

-22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.01 R$5.10

-6.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.21

$2.14 R$10.85

-6.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.34

$3.66 R$18.55

-44.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.13 R$5.72

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.21

$2.09 R$10.60

-22.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.95

$1.25 R$6.36

-21.60%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.32

$2.25 R$11.39

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 R$51.0

$10.92 R$55.3

-7.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$25.01

$4.36 R$22.10

13.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 R$51.3

$9.60 R$48.66

5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R$9.87

$2.85 R$14.46

-31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.21

$1.81 R$9.16

-32.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.00

$1.58 R$8.02

-37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$1.83 R$9.28

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.12

$1.20 R$6.10

-32.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.85

$1.06 R$5.35

-28.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.24

$0.75 R$3.81

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.99

$0.68 R$3.45

16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.45

$2.94 R$14.90

-16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 R$31.22

$7.98 R$40.43

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.99

$1.18 R$5.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 R$9.76

$2.42 R$12.26

-20.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.74

$0.94 R$4.78

-1.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.70 R$222

$50.3 R$255

-13.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 R$8.08

$1.20 R$6.10

32.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R$8.04

$0.83 R$4.20

91.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 R$39.94

$8.97 R$45.48

-12.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.29 R$6.53

-20.16%

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

$19.9K R$100.9K

$22.8K R$115.5K

-12.62%

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

$33.1K R$167.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-2.47%

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

$95.4 R$484

$134 R$681

-28.98%

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

$10.11 R$51.2

$10.73 R$54.4

-5.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 R$103

$22.84 R$116

-10.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.42 R$144

$30.16 R$153

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 R$141

$31.49 R$160

-11.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 R$27.66

$7.73 R$39.17

-29.37%

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

$283 R$1,434

$584 R$2,960

-51.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K R$51.3K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-21.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 R$278

$41.12 R$208

33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.51 R$190

$49.26 R$250

-23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.0 R$269

$73.7 R$373

-28.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 R$303

$65.9 R$334

-9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,794

$900 R$4,561

-60.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 R$1,019

$527 R$2,673

-61.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,359

$1,332 R$6,754

-50.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 R$2,375

$748 R$3,790

-37.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,729 R$8,765

$3,990 R$20.2K

-56.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,214 R$6,156

$1,560 R$7,908

-22.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 R$3,396

$640 R$3,246

4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.79

11.93

7.21%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: 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

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$201 24.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 162% $326

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$194 23.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 10.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$126 15.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 33.4% $42

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$112 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 39% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 12.1% $11

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 6.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 4.4% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$39 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 16% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $214 per month, with Sao Joao da Boa Vista cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

Same time as Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,547

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Rio de Janeiro 380 km

From you

Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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

Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Joao da Boa Vista and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($821 vs $1,273 including rent). Sao Joao da Boa Vista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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: $354 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $821 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $821 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Boa Vista but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.