Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $867 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Trujillo
🇵🇪 Peru
$867
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,289
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Trujillo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Trujillo $867
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,340 in Trujillo versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Trujillo $1,340
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Trujillo versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Trujillo $1,814
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Trujillo costs roughly 33% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Trujillo 36% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.50 PEN 12.01
$10.06 R$51.0
-65.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.64 PEN 81.2
$40.44 R$205
-41.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.01 PEN 24.07
$8.55 R$43.35
-18.01%
Cappuccino
$3.25 PEN 11.17
$2.38 R$12.04
36.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.06
$1.61 R$8.18
-44.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 PEN 2.12
$1.03 R$5.22
-39.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.98 PEN 6.81
$2.47 R$12.54
-19.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 PEN 11.89
$3.70 R$18.77
-6.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 PEN 4.50
$1.19 R$6.05
10.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 PEN 7.08
$2.05 R$10.38
0.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 PEN 3.92
$1.28 R$6.49
-10.94%
Eggs
$3.98 PEN 13.68
$2.29 R$11.60
73.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.81 PEN 26.82
$10.76 R$54.5
-27.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.54 PEN 22.46
$4.41 R$22.36
48.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.20 PEN 31.61
$9.84 R$49.86
-6.50%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 PEN 5.74
$2.81 R$14.25
-40.57%
Banana (1kg)
$0.61 PEN 2.08
$1.78 R$9.03
-65.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.60 PEN 2.06
$1.60 R$8.13
-62.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$1.80 R$9.11
-50.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.00 PEN 3.42
$1.22 R$6.17
-18.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 PEN 3.90
$1.04 R$5.26
9.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 PEN 4.24
$0.77 R$3.92
61.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 PEN 3.93
$0.67 R$3.38
70.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.22 PEN 14.49
$3.01 R$15.27
40.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.72 PEN 19.66
$8.08 R$40.94
-29.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 PEN 5.88
$1.19 R$6.03
43.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 PEN 5.61
$2.51 R$12.73
-35.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 PEN 1.94
$0.99 R$5.00
-42.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.65 PEN 60.6
$50.1 R$254
-64.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.53 PEN 8.68
$1.22 R$6.20
107.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.21 PEN 7.58
$0.92 R$4.66
140.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 PEN 20.55
$8.97 R$45.45
-33.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.70 PEN 5.84
$1.30 R$6.57
30.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.5K PEN 60.2K
$23.9K R$121.0K
-26.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.8K PEN 95.3K
$32.9K R$166.6K
-15.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.9 PEN 336
$133 R$676
-26.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.84 PEN 44.08
$10.82 R$54.8
18.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.05 PEN 92.9
$22.90 R$116
18.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.49 PEN 136
$30.79 R$156
28.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.79 PEN 19.89
$31.85 R$161
-81.82%
Cinema Ticket
$4.40 PEN 15.11
$8.05 R$40.83
-45.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$107 PEN 369
$598 R$3,029
-82.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,078 PEN 7,136
$13.4K R$68.0K
-84.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.8 PEN 247
$42.04 R$213
70.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$14.35 PEN 49.28
$49.68 R$252
-71.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.03 PEN 158
$74.5 R$378
-38.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$43.97 PEN 151
$68.7 R$348
-35.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$384 PEN 1,319
$903 R$4,578
-57.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$253 PEN 869
$529 R$2,684
-52.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$744 PEN 2,555
$1,326 R$6,724
-43.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$512 PEN 1,758
$756 R$3,831
-32.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,177 PEN 4,043
$4,010 R$20.3K
-70.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,560 R$7,910
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Trujillo
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$548 PEN 1,884
$640 R$3,242
-14.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.7
11.93
-1.93%

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

Last update for Trujillo: 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
Trujillo
$253
Rio de Janeiro
$529 109% $277
Groceries & Markets
Trujillo
$204
Rio de Janeiro
$215 5.2% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Trujillo
$138
Rio de Janeiro
$167 21.3% $29
Eating Out
Trujillo
$111
Rio de Janeiro
$165 48.8% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Trujillo
$79
Rio de Janeiro
$106 33.4% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Trujillo
$48
Rio de Janeiro
$47 2.9% $1.4
Getting Around
Trujillo
$33
Rio de Janeiro
$60 78.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Trujillo and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 17% 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: $24.00 in Trujillo vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $215 per month, with Trujillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Trujillo
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
09:17 9:17 AM
11:17 11:17 AM
2 h ahead of Trujillo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
314,939
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Trujillo Rio de Janeiro 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Trujillo
  • 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
Trujillo vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Trujillo and in Rio de Janeiro?
Trujillo and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($867 vs $1,289 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 17% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Trujillo and in Rio de Janeiro?
Rent for a central apartment: $384 in Trujillo versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Trujillo – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Trujillo or Rio de Janeiro?
All in, you'll spend $867 per month in Trujillo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $867 in Trujillo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Trujillo and Rio de Janeiro?
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.
Where should expats move: Trujillo or Rio de Janeiro?
Expats usually find Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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