Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux Falls, SD and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Sioux Falls, SD
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Sioux Falls, SD Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Sioux Falls, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,154

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sioux Falls, SD $2,154
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,162 in Sioux Falls, SD versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sioux Falls, SD $3,162
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,170 in Sioux Falls, SD versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sioux Falls, SD $4,170
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Sioux Falls, SD is roughly 68% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sioux Falls, SD is 61% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 $11.80

$9.98 R$49.83

18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$40.34 R$201

86.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$8.48 R$42.35

18.16%

Cappuccino

$4.29 $4.29

$2.36 R$11.80

81.78%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.63 R$8.13

62.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.01 R$5.06

88.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.44 R$12.19

65.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.69 R$18.43

79.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.15 R$5.72

-28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.07 R$10.34

36.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.29 R$6.42

278.29%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$2.27 R$11.32

58.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$11.00 R$54.9

12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$4.31 R$21.51

125.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$9.74 R$48.63

60.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.83 R$14.12

61.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.84 R$9.17

-13.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.60 R$7.96

118.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.80 R$9.00

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.26 R$6.28

67.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.07 R$5.34

209.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.75 R$3.75

174.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.66 R$3.29

162.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 $9.48

$3.05 R$15.21

210.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 $11.10

$8.18 R$40.84

35.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.19 R$5.92

78.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.39 R$11.92

11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.01 R$5.06

45.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.15 $30.15

$50.2 R$250

-39.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.27 R$6.33

203.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.90 R$4.51

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.44 R$47.13

273.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.33 R$6.65

-24.81%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$23.4K R$117.0K

51.58%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-25.26%

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

$245 $245

$134 R$666

83.81%

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

$45.55 $45.55

$12.23 R$61.0

272.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 $56.3

$22.65 R$113

148.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 $44.12

$31.56 R$158

39.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.82 $34.82

$30.87 R$154

12.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 $12.32

$8.23 R$41.07

49.70%

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

$1,006 $1,006

$603 R$3,011

66.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,684 $7,684

$13.2K R$66.1K

-41.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.26 $33.26

$41.62 R$208

-20.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$49.94 R$249

-39.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$75.0 R$375

56.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$68.3 R$341

97.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$905 R$4,519

49.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 $934

$527 R$2,633

77.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,346 R$6,720

53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 $1,514

$774 R$3,865

95.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,504 $2,504

$3,981 R$19.9K

-37.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,191 $2,191

$1,562 R$7,798

40.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,346 $4,346

$643 R$3,210

575.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

11.93

-42.41%

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

Last update for Sioux Falls, SD: October 5, 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

Sioux Falls, SD

$934 44.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 43.5% $406

Groceries & Markets

Sioux Falls, SD

$347 16.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 38.2% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux Falls, SD

$347 16.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 51.5% $179

Eating Out

Sioux Falls, SD

$228 10.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 28% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux Falls, SD

$142 6.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 25.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux Falls, SD

$69 3.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 30.2% $21

Getting Around

Sioux Falls, SD

$48 2.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 24% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,355 in Sioux Falls, SD and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux Falls, SD pays 576% 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: $75.0 in Sioux Falls, SD vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux Falls, SD

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

2 h ahead of Sioux Falls, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

192,517

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Sioux Falls, SD Rio de Janeiro 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sioux Falls, SD
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

Sioux Falls, SD vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sioux Falls, SD and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,154 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 576% higher in Sioux Falls, SD, 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: $1,355 in Sioux Falls, SD 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 $75.0 in Sioux Falls, SD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,154 per month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Sioux Falls, SD. 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.

Safety-wise, Sioux Falls, SD and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Sioux Falls, SD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.