Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, TN and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
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Union City, TN Living Index
62

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

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Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Union City, TN $1,653
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Union City, TN versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Union City, TN $2,486
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,318 in Union City, TN versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Union City, TN $3,318
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Union City, TN is roughly 30% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Union City, TN is 22% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.87 $9.87

$9.38 R$47.54

5.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$40.00 R$203

25.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.34 R$42.28

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$3.11 $3.11

$2.29 R$11.62

35.81%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.59 R$8.05

38.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.01 R$5.10

54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.14 R$10.85

82.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.66 R$18.55

6.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.13 R$5.72

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.09 R$10.60

13.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.25 R$6.36

65.60%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$2.25 R$11.39

19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$10.92 R$55.3

-27.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$4.36 R$22.10

102.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$9.60 R$48.66

94.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.85 R$14.46

55.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.81 R$9.16

-30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.58 R$8.02

70.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.83 R$9.28

142.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.20 R$6.10

82.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.06 R$5.35

72.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.75 R$3.81

136.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.68 R$3.45

102.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.94 R$14.90

132.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$7.98 R$40.43

75.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.18 R$5.98

73.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.42 R$12.26

-23.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.94 R$4.78

96.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 $4.85

$1.20 R$6.10

304.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.83 R$4.20

83.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.16 $21.16

$8.97 R$45.48

135.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.29 R$6.53

-35.66%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$22.8K R$115.5K

62.76%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-19.67%

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

$228 $228

$134 R$681

69.84%

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

$33.13 $33.13

$10.73 R$54.4

208.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$22.84 R$116

229.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.53 $41.53

$30.16 R$153

37.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.06 $7.06

$31.49 R$160

-77.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$7.73 R$39.17

91.72%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$584 R$2,960

150.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$12.8K R$64.9K

140.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$41.12 R$208

34.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.06 $43.06

$49.26 R$250

-12.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 $90.9

$73.7 R$373

23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$65.9 R$334

107.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 $724

$900 R$4,561

-19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$527 R$2,673

10.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 $1,155

$1,332 R$6,754

-13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$748 R$3,790

46.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 $2,327

$3,990 R$20.2K

-41.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,591 $2,591

$1,560 R$7,908

66.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,019 $2,019

$640 R$3,246

215.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.93

-45.10%

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

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union City, TN

$585 35.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 9.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union City, TN

$336 20.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 50.1% $169

Groceries & Markets

Union City, TN

$315 19%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 32.1% $101

Eating Out

Union City, TN

$179 10.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 13.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Union City, TN

$147 8.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 29.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Union City, TN

$71 4.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 35.9% $26

Getting Around

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 199% $40

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 $724 in Union City, TN and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, TN pays 215% 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: $50.0 in Union City, TN vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

2 h ahead of Union City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,930

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Union City, TN Rio de Janeiro 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Union City, TN
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

Union City, TN vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Union City, TN and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,653 vs $1,273 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 215% higher in Union City, TN, 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: $724 in Union City, TN versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,465 in Union City, TN versus $584 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 $50.0 in Union City, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,653 in Union City, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Union City, TN. 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 30% less than in Union City, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.