Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toms River, NJ and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,885 in Toms River, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Toms River, NJ
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Toms River, NJ Living Index
63

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

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Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,885

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,885 in Toms River, NJ versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Toms River, NJ $2,885
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,341 in Toms River, NJ versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Toms River, NJ $4,341
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,796 in Toms River, NJ versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Toms River, NJ $5,796
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Toms River, NJ is roughly 124% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toms River, NJ is 114% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$10.06 R$51.0

97.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 $75.7

$40.44 R$205

87.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$8.55 R$43.35

40.00%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$2.38 R$12.04

140.76%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.61 R$8.18

59.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.03 R$5.22

76.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.47 R$12.54

104.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.70 R$18.77

88.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.19 R$6.05

18.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.05 R$10.38

129.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.28 R$6.49

85.94%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$2.29 R$11.60

101.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.36 $16.36

$10.76 R$54.5

52.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$4.41 R$22.36

280.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.65 $16.65

$9.84 R$49.86

69.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.81 R$14.25

108.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.78 R$9.03

-26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$1.60 R$8.13

225.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$1.80 R$9.11

232.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.22 R$6.17

22.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.04 R$5.26

158.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.77 R$3.92

220.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.67 R$3.38

194.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$3.01 R$15.27

226.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 $10.20

$8.08 R$40.94

26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.19 R$6.03

125.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.51 R$12.73

29.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.22 R$6.20

149.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.92 R$4.66

131.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.61 $41.61

$8.97 R$45.45

363.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.30 R$6.57

-26.15%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$23.9K R$121.0K

48.55%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-24.02%

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

$242 $242

$133 R$676

81.39%

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

$36.84 $36.84

$10.82 R$54.8

240.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$22.90 R$116

169.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.62 $29.62

$30.79 R$156

-3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$17.38 $17.38

$8.05 R$40.83

115.90%

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

$2,600 $2,600

$598 R$3,029

335.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.9K $33.9K

$13.4K R$68.0K

152.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 $68.6

$42.04 R$213

63.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 $77.0

$49.68 R$252

54.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$74.5 R$378

62.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$68.7 R$348

75.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$903 R$4,578

84.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 $1,528

$529 R$2,684

188.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,823 $2,823

$1,326 R$6,724

112.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,817 $2,817

$756 R$3,831

272.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,569 $5,569

$640 R$3,242

770.81%

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 Toms River, NJ: October 11, 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

Toms River, NJ

$1.5K 53%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 65.3% $998

Groceries & Markets

Toms River, NJ

$443 15.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 51.6% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toms River, NJ

$340 11.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 50.9% $173

Eating Out

Toms River, NJ

$321 11.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 48.5% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Toms River, NJ

$175 6.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 39.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Toms River, NJ

$64 2.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 27.2% $17

Getting Around

Toms River, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 338% $46

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 $1,669 in Toms River, NJ and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toms River, NJ pays 771% 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: $76.0 in Toms River, NJ vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

1 h ahead of Toms River, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,438

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Toms River, NJ Rio de Janeiro 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Toms River, NJ
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

Toms River, NJ vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toms River, NJ and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,885 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 771% higher in Toms River, NJ, 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: $1,669 in Toms River, NJ versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,600 in Toms River, NJ versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $76.0 in Toms River, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,885 in Toms River, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Toms River, NJ. 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, Toms River, NJ 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 124% less than in Toms River, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.