Rio de Janeiro vs Montevideo Cost of Living

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) · Overall index 34.8Montevideo (Uruguay) · Overall index 41.5

Summary

  • Overall, Montevideo is 19% more expensive than Rio de Janeiro.
  • Telecom in Montevideo is 28% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Transport in Montevideo is 24% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro.
ItemRio de JaneiroMontevideoDiff
Rent+20%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$1,094$1,270+16%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$716$815+14%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$2,097$2,666+27%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$1,336$1,650+24%
Groceries+20%
Milk (1L)$0.56$0.68+21%
White bread (500g)$1.68$2.09+24%
Rice (1kg)$2.23$2.43+9%
Eggs (12)$1.92$2.48+29%
Local cheese (1kg)$5.66$7.13+26%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.69$6.2+9%
Beef round (1kg)$7.82$10.3+32%
Apples (1kg)$2.48$2.88+16%
Bananas (1kg)$0.91$1.06+16%
Oranges (1kg)$2.17$2.24+3%
Tomatoes (1kg)$2.69$3.13+16%
Potatoes (1kg)$1.41$1.66+18%
Onions (1kg)$1.37$1.49+9%
Lettuce (1 head)$1.03$1.51+47%
Water (1.5L bottle)$1.13$1.21+7%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$6.11$8.93+46%
Transport+24%
Public transport, one-way ticket$0.85$1.26+48%
Public transport, monthly pass$45.1$54.2+20%
Taxi, base fare$1.45$1.65+14%
Taxi, per km$0.76$0.89+17%
Gasoline (1L)$0.33$0.4+21%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$9,328$11,542+24%
Dining out+11%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$9.25$9.54+3%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$43.7$52.7+21%
Fast food combo meal$4.67$5.02+7%
Cappuccino$2.15$2.4+12%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$0.88$1.11+26%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$2.63$2.98+13%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$3.39$3.66+8%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$0.87$0.91+5%
Telecom+28%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$29.5$37.8+28%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$30.7$36.6+19%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.15$0.21+40%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$7.03$8.89+26%
Utilities & household+14%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$81$94.9+17%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.11$0.110%
Tap water (1m³)$1.96$2.5+28%
Natural gas (1m³)$0.64$0.7+9%
Waste collection (monthly)$10.3$10.7+4%
Fitness club (monthly)$34.8$38.4+10%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$7.42$8.53+15%
Men's haircut$14.1$15.6+11%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$10.2$13.1+28%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$871$1,011+16%

3,104 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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