Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volta Redonda and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Volta Redonda: $817 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Volta Redonda
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Volta Redonda Living Index
63

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

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Volta Redonda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $817 in Volta Redonda versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Volta Redonda $817
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,294 in Volta Redonda versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Volta Redonda $1,294
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Volta Redonda versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Volta Redonda $1,771
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Volta Redonda costs roughly 37% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Volta Redonda 39% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 R$15.58

$10.06 R$51.0

-69.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.42 R$205

$40.44 R$205

-0.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 R$34.16

$8.55 R$43.35

-21.17%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.38 R$12.04

4.62%

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

$1.44 R$7.30

$1.61 R$8.18

-10.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.14

$1.03 R$5.22

-39.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.97

$2.47 R$12.54

-4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 R$22.81

$3.70 R$18.77

21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.19 R$6.05

-15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$9.76

$2.05 R$10.38

-5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$1.28 R$6.49

-3.91%

Eggs

$2.39 R$12.10

$2.29 R$11.60

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 R$34.65

$10.76 R$54.5

-36.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 R$16.52

$4.41 R$22.36

-26.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$50.9

$9.84 R$49.86

1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.01

$2.81 R$14.25

-22.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.78 R$9.03

-33.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.96

$1.60 R$8.13

-38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.42

$1.80 R$9.11

13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.22 R$6.17

20.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.04 R$5.26

19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$2.98

$0.77 R$3.92

-23.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 R$2.48

$0.67 R$3.38

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 R$8.00

$3.01 R$15.27

-47.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 R$44.49

$8.08 R$40.94

8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.19 R$6.03

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R$8.40

$2.51 R$12.73

-33.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.90

$0.99 R$5.00

-2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.59 R$180

$50.1 R$254

-28.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 R$7.99

$1.22 R$6.20

29.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$5.01

$0.92 R$4.66

7.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 R$52.7

$8.97 R$45.45

15.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.30 R$6.57

-5.38%

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

$24.2K R$122.8K

$23.9K R$121.0K

1.44%

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

$33.7K R$170.6K

$32.9K R$166.6K

2.43%

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

$96.2 R$488

$133 R$676

-27.88%

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

$11.25 R$57.0

$10.82 R$54.8

3.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.11 R$112

$22.90 R$116

-3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.50 R$155

$30.79 R$156

-0.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 R$39.09

$8.05 R$40.83

-4.22%

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

$149 R$756

$598 R$3,029

-75.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,034 R$15.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-77.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.44 R$230

$42.04 R$213

8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 R$201

$49.68 R$252

-20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 R$256

$74.5 R$378

-32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 R$478

$68.7 R$348

37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 R$1,398

$903 R$4,578

-69.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 R$1,033

$529 R$2,684

-61.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 R$2,988

$1,326 R$6,724

-55.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 R$1,959

$756 R$3,831

-48.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$831 R$4,215

$4,010 R$20.3K

-79.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 R$3,414

$1,560 R$7,910

-56.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 R$1,536

$640 R$3,242

-52.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.93

-2.10%

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

Last update for Volta Redonda: October 10, 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

Volta Redonda

$204 24.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 160% $326

Groceries & Markets

Volta Redonda

$185 22.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 16.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Volta Redonda

$130 15.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 29% $38

Eating Out

Volta Redonda

$104 12.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 59% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Volta Redonda

$103 12.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 2.2% $2.3

Getting Around

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 30.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 2.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Volta Redonda and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 111% 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: $40.00 in Volta Redonda vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $215 per month, with Volta Redonda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Volta Redonda

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

Same time as Volta Redonda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

261,563

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Volta Redonda vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Volta Redonda and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($817 vs $1,289 including rent). Volta Redonda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 111% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $276 in Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $817 per month in Volta Redonda versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $817 in Volta Redonda versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volta Redonda but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.