Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,924 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
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Yellowknife Living Index
63

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

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Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,924

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,924 in Yellowknife versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Yellowknife $2,924
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,087 in Yellowknife versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Yellowknife $4,087
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,250 in Yellowknife versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Yellowknife $5,250
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 128% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yellowknife is 118% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.40 CA$27.65

$9.98 R$49.83

94.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 CA$119

$40.34 R$201

106.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 CA$11.97

$8.48 R$42.35

-1.06%

Cappuccino

$4.39 CA$6.25

$2.36 R$11.80

86.02%

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

$2.39 CA$3.41

$1.63 R$8.13

46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.89

$1.01 R$5.06

100.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 CA$9.17

$2.44 R$12.19

163.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 CA$9.91

$3.69 R$18.43

88.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$1.15 R$5.72

139.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.77

$2.07 R$10.34

27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 CA$6.77

$1.29 R$6.42

268.22%

Eggs

$3.15 CA$4.49

$2.27 R$11.32

38.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 CA$9.94

$11.00 R$54.9

-36.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 CA$22.33

$4.31 R$21.51

263.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 CA$22.11

$9.74 R$48.63

59.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 CA$6.85

$2.83 R$14.12

69.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.16

$1.84 R$9.17

-17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 CA$7.22

$1.60 R$7.96

216.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.17 CA$10.22

$1.80 R$9.00

298.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 CA$6.46

$1.26 R$6.28

259.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.16

$1.07 R$5.34

238.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.45 CA$4.92

$0.75 R$3.75

360.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 CA$1.49

$0.66 R$3.29

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 CA$24.97

$3.05 R$15.21

474.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$20.38

$8.18 R$40.84

74.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 CA$5.90

$1.19 R$5.92

247.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$2.39 R$11.92

164.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 CA$3.04

$1.01 R$5.06

110.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 CA$75.3

$50.2 R$250

5.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CA$4.47

$1.27 R$6.33

146.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.95

$0.90 R$4.51

52.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.86

$1.33 R$6.65

-1.50%

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

$24.2K CA$34.5K

$23.4K R$117.0K

3.36%

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

$18.8K CA$26.8K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-43.92%

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

$355 CA$506

$134 R$666

165.78%

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

$57.5 CA$81.9

$12.23 R$61.0

369.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.7 CA$142

$22.65 R$113

340.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 CA$103

$31.56 R$158

128.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$9.54 CA$13.60

$8.23 R$41.07

15.92%

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

$593 CA$845

$603 R$3,011

-1.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 CA$88.3

$41.62 R$208

48.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 CA$49.57

$49.94 R$249

-30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 CA$142

$75.0 R$375

32.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$162

$68.3 R$341

66.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 CA$1,980

$905 R$4,519

53.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 CA$1,968

$527 R$2,633

161.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 CA$2,995

$1,346 R$6,720

56.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 CA$2,935

$774 R$3,865

165.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,977 CA$4,244

$3,981 R$19.9K

-25.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,819 CA$4,018

$1,562 R$7,798

80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,989 CA$5,685

$643 R$3,210

520.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

11.93

-55.41%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 61.8% $853

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yellowknife

$512 17.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 67.1% $344

Groceries & Markets

Yellowknife

$430 14.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 50% $215

Eating Out

Yellowknife

$297 10.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 44.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Yellowknife

$140 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 24.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Yellowknife

$91 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 47.3% $43

Getting Around

Yellowknife

$71 2.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 15.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,389 in Yellowknife and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 520% 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: $83.0 in Yellowknife vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

3 h ahead of Yellowknife

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,234

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yellowknife Rio de Janeiro 11,340 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Yellowknife
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

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

Yellowknife and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,924 vs $1,285 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 520% higher in Yellowknife, 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: $1,389 in Yellowknife versus $905 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 $83.0 in Yellowknife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,924 per month in Yellowknife versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,924 in Yellowknife, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Yellowknife. 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 128% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.