Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $835 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
Learn more

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$835

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $835
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,288 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,288
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,742 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,742
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP costs roughly 34% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 38% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 R$22.44

$9.38 R$47.54

-52.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.29 R$138

$40.00 R$203

-31.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 R$45.98

$8.34 R$42.28

8.75%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R$12.02

$2.29 R$11.62

3.49%

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

$1.32 R$6.69

$1.59 R$8.05

-16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.06

$1.01 R$5.10

-20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.88

$2.14 R$10.85

-8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 R$17.96

$3.66 R$18.55

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 R$4.34

$1.13 R$5.72

-23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 R$8.97

$2.09 R$10.60

-15.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.25 R$6.36

-6.40%

Eggs

$2.03 R$10.28

$2.25 R$11.39

-9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 R$34.33

$10.92 R$55.3

-38.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 R$21.48

$4.36 R$22.10

-2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 R$33.73

$9.60 R$48.66

-30.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.71

$2.85 R$14.46

-18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.77

$1.81 R$9.16

-37.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.58 R$8.02

-47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.05

$1.83 R$9.28

-24.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.20 R$6.10

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.00

$1.06 R$5.35

11.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 R$4.93

$0.75 R$3.81

29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$0.68 R$3.45

-7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 R$9.95

$2.94 R$14.90

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 R$36.19

$7.98 R$40.43

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.18 R$5.98

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.77

$2.42 R$12.26

-4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 R$5.63

$0.94 R$4.78

18.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.19 R$148

$50.3 R$255

-41.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R$3.17

$1.20 R$6.10

-47.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R$3.90

$0.83 R$4.20

-7.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 R$34.50

$8.97 R$45.48

-24.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.11

$1.29 R$6.53

-6.20%

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

$22.9K R$115.9K

$22.8K R$115.5K

0.41%

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

$30.4K R$154.3K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-10.35%

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

$66.4 R$337

$134 R$681

-50.58%

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

$13.68 R$69.4

$10.73 R$54.4

27.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 R$96.0

$22.84 R$116

-17.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.99 R$111

$30.16 R$153

-27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 R$100

$31.49 R$160

-37.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 R$19.85

$7.73 R$39.17

-49.29%

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

$274 R$1,390

$584 R$2,960

-53.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,947 R$40.3K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-37.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 R$332

$41.12 R$208

59.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 R$283

$49.26 R$250

13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 R$455

$73.7 R$373

21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.32 R$230

$65.9 R$334

-31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R$2,139

$900 R$4,561

-53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 R$1,343

$527 R$2,673

-49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 R$3,055

$1,332 R$6,754

-54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 R$2,336

$748 R$3,790

-38.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,150 R$10.9K

$3,990 R$20.2K

-46.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$835 R$4,231

$1,560 R$7,908

-46.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 R$2,724

$640 R$3,246

-16.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.23

11.93

-31.01%

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

Last update for Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 19, 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP

$265 31.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 99% $262

Groceries & Markets

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$171 20.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 24.8% $42

Eating Out

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 34% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$115 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 10.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$99 11.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 69.6% $69

Getting Around

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$38 4.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 56% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 53% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 19% 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: $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $214 per month, with Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

Same time as Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

480,393

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP Rio de Janeiro 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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 Jose do Rio Preto SP vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($835 vs $1,273 including rent). Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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: $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP – a meal for two runs $27.00 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 $835 per month in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.