Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,109 in Scranton, PA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index
63

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

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Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,109

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,109 in Scranton, PA versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Scranton, PA $2,109
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,000 in Scranton, PA versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Scranton, PA $3,000
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,891 in Scranton, PA versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Scranton, PA $3,891
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Scranton, PA is roughly 64% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scranton, PA is 56% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 $12.08

$10.06 R$51.0

20.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$40.44 R$205

90.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.55 R$43.35

-30.29%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$2.38 R$12.04

88.24%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.61 R$8.18

-4.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.03 R$5.22

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.47 R$12.54

180.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$3.70 R$18.77

107.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.19 R$6.05

-38.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.05 R$10.38

-28.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.28 R$6.49

73.44%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.29 R$11.60

45.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$10.76 R$54.5

3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$4.41 R$22.36

99.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$9.84 R$49.86

13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.81 R$14.25

28.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.78 R$9.03

-26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.60 R$8.13

107.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.80 R$9.11

136.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.22 R$6.17

137.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.04 R$5.26

219.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.77 R$3.92

151.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.67 R$3.38

50.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.01 R$15.27

118.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$8.08 R$40.94

50.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.19 R$6.03

155.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.51 R$12.73

90.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.99 R$5.00

74.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$50.1 R$254

21.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.22 R$6.20

159.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.92 R$4.66

117.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$8.97 R$45.45

179.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.30 R$6.57

-14.62%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$23.9K R$121.0K

48.02%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-21.80%

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

$232 $232

$133 R$676

73.81%

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

$40.27 $40.27

$10.82 R$54.8

272.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.27 $49.27

$22.90 R$116

115.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 $29.52

$30.79 R$156

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 $16.03

$31.85 R$161

-49.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 $12.53

$8.05 R$40.83

55.65%

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

$770 $770

$598 R$3,029

28.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K $17.6K

$13.4K R$68.0K

31.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$42.04 R$213

7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 $30.25

$49.68 R$252

-39.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$74.5 R$378

-2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 $82.9

$68.7 R$348

20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$903 R$4,578

40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 $1,019

$529 R$2,684

92.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,326 R$6,724

17.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$756 R$3,831

96.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$4,010 R$20.3K

-60.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 $1,538

$1,560 R$7,910

-1.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,361 $3,361

$640 R$3,242

425.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.93

-44.09%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scranton, PA

$1K 48.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 48.1% $490

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$321 15.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 48% $154

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$300 14.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 28.4% $85

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$228 10.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 27.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$104 4.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 1.6% $1.6

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 26.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$55 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 14.1% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Scranton, PA and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 426% 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: $77.0 in Scranton, PA vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

1 h ahead of Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Scranton, PA Rio de Janeiro 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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Scranton, PA
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

Scranton, PA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scranton, PA and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,109 vs $1,289 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 426% higher in Scranton, PA, 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: $1,269 in Scranton, PA versus $903 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 $77.0 in Scranton, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,109 per month in Scranton, PA versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,109 in Scranton, PA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Scranton, PA. 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 64% less than in Scranton, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.