Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
63

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

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,384
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,790
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,195 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,195
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Winston-Salem, NC is roughly 85% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Winston-Salem, NC is 77% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$10.06 R$51.0

124.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$40.44 R$205

95.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.55 R$43.35

18.13%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$2.38 R$12.04

127.31%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.61 R$8.18

82.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.03 R$5.22

99.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.47 R$12.54

104.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.70 R$18.77

65.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.19 R$6.05

21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.05 R$10.38

132.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$1.28 R$6.49

647.66%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$2.29 R$11.60

131.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$10.76 R$54.5

68.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 $13.89

$4.41 R$22.36

214.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 $26.80

$9.84 R$49.86

172.36%

Apples (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.81 R$14.25

178.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.78 R$9.03

70.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.60 R$8.13

321.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$1.80 R$9.11

314.44%

Potato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.22 R$6.17

302.46%

Onion (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$1.04 R$5.26

498.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.77 R$3.92

258.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$0.67 R$3.38

408.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 $7.76

$3.01 R$15.27

157.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$8.08 R$40.94

88.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.19 R$6.03

34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.51 R$12.73

73.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.99 R$5.00

107.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$50.1 R$254

-40.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.22 R$6.20

469.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.92 R$4.66

153.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$8.97 R$45.45

64.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 R$6.57

-27.69%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$23.9K R$121.0K

47.24%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-20.57%

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

$174 $174

$133 R$676

30.10%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$10.82 R$54.8

372.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$22.90 R$116

176.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 $48.72

$30.79 R$156

58.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 $15.71

$31.85 R$161

-50.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$8.05 R$40.83

48.45%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$598 R$3,029

117.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-24.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 $39.65

$42.04 R$213

-5.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$49.68 R$252

-35.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$74.5 R$378

14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$68.7 R$348

36.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$903 R$4,578

60.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$529 R$2,684

78.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,326 R$6,724

98.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$756 R$3,831

153.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 $6,350

$4,010 R$20.3K

58.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$1,560 R$7,910

106.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$640 R$3,242

455.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

11.93

-44.01%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: 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

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 44.1% $417

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 62.6% $359

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 50.5% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 42% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 6.3% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 35.4% $26

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 5.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winston-Salem, NC pays 456% 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: $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $574 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

1 h ahead of Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

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

Winston-Salem, NC Rio de Janeiro 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Winston-Salem, NC
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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winston-Salem, NC and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($2,384 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 456% higher in Winston-Salem, NC, 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: $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC 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 $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,384 per month in Winston-Salem, NC versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Winston-Salem, NC. 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 85% less than in Winston-Salem, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.