Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spartanburg, SC and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,299 in Spartanburg, SC, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Spartanburg, SC
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Spartanburg, SC Living Index
63

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

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Spartanburg, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,299 in Spartanburg, SC versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Spartanburg, SC $2,299
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,394 in Spartanburg, SC versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Spartanburg, SC $3,394
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,488 in Spartanburg, SC versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Spartanburg, SC $4,488
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Spartanburg, SC is roughly 78% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Spartanburg, SC is 70% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 $17.24

$10.06 R$51.0

71.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$40.44 R$205

50.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.55 R$43.35

15.09%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$2.38 R$12.04

139.92%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$1.61 R$8.18

32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.03 R$5.22

128.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.47 R$12.54

104.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.70 R$18.77

91.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.19 R$6.05

-15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.05 R$10.38

71.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$1.28 R$6.49

342.19%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$2.29 R$11.60

66.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$10.76 R$54.5

22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 $12.91

$4.41 R$22.36

192.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$9.84 R$49.86

68.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.81 R$14.25

16.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.78 R$9.03

33.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.60 R$8.13

143.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$1.80 R$9.11

241.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.22 R$6.17

120.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.04 R$5.26

256.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.77 R$3.92

189.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.67 R$3.38

340.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$3.01 R$15.27

200.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 $16.77

$8.08 R$40.94

107.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.51 R$12.73

176.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 $119

$50.1 R$254

138.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.30 R$6.57

-33.85%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$23.9K R$121.0K

44.38%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-19.41%

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

$177 $177

$133 R$676

32.76%

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

$93.5 $93.5

$10.82 R$54.8

764.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 $61.5

$22.90 R$116

168.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.87 $26.87

$30.79 R$156

-12.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$12.23 $12.23

$8.05 R$40.83

51.93%

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

$942 $942

$598 R$3,029

57.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.14 $41.14

$42.04 R$213

-2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.13 $35.13

$49.68 R$252

-29.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$74.5 R$378

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$68.7 R$348

71.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 $1,248

$903 R$4,578

38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$959 $959

$529 R$2,684

81.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 $2,161

$1,326 R$6,724

62.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$756 R$3,831

110.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,819 $1,819

$4,010 R$20.3K

-54.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,821 $1,821

$1,560 R$7,910

16.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$640 R$3,242

441.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.22

11.93

-39.48%

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

Last update for Spartanburg, SC: October 13, 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

Spartanburg, SC

$959 41.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 44.8% $430

Groceries & Markets

Spartanburg, SC

$421 * 18.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 49% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spartanburg, SC

$332 14.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 49.7% $165

Eating Out

Spartanburg, SC

$293 12.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 43.7% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Spartanburg, SC

$123 5.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 14.3% $18

Getting Around

Spartanburg, SC

$119 * 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 49.8% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Spartanburg, SC

$51 2.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 8.6% $4.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,248 in Spartanburg, SC and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spartanburg, SC pays 442% 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: $61.0 in Spartanburg, SC vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Spartanburg, SC

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

15:46 3:46 PM

1 h ahead of Spartanburg, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,013

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Spartanburg, SC Rio de Janeiro 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Spartanburg, SC
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

Spartanburg, SC vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spartanburg, SC and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,299 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 442% higher in Spartanburg, SC, 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: $1,248 in Spartanburg, SC 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 $61.0 in Spartanburg, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,299 per month in Spartanburg, SC versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,299 in Spartanburg, SC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Spartanburg, SC. 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 78% less than in Spartanburg, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.