São Paulo vs Rio de Janeiro Cost of Living
São Paulo (Brazil) · Overall index 35.9 — Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) · Overall index 34.8
Summary
- Overall, Rio de Janeiro is 3% cheaper than São Paulo.
- Telecom in Rio de Janeiro is 10% cheaper than in São Paulo.
- Utilities & household in Rio de Janeiro is 5% cheaper than in São Paulo.
| Item | São Paulo | Rio de Janeiro | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +3% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $966 | $1,094 | +13% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $665 | $716 | +8% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,186 | $2,097 | -4% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,366 | $1,336 | -2% |
| Groceries | -4% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.55 | $0.56 | +2% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.73 | $1.68 | -3% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.36 | $2.23 | -6% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.35 | $1.92 | -18% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.12 | $5.66 | -21% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.35 | $5.69 | -10% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $8.01 | $7.82 | -2% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.5 | $2.48 | -1% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.05 | $0.91 | -13% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.99 | $2.17 | +9% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.58 | $2.69 | +4% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.33 | $1.41 | +6% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.38 | $1.37 | -1% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.07 | $1.03 | -4% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.12 | $1.13 | +1% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.84 | $6.11 | -11% |
| Transport | -4% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.91 | $0.85 | -7% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $42.2 | $45.1 | +7% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.64 | $1.45 | -12% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.64 | $0.76 | +19% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.33 | -11% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,655 | $9,328 | -12% |
| Dining out | -1% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.37 | $9.25 | +11% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $48.8 | $43.7 | -10% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4.92 | $4.67 | -5% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $2.15 | 0% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.15 | $0.88 | -23% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.74 | $2.63 | -4% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.05 | $3.39 | +11% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.75 | $0.87 | +16% |
| Telecom | -10% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $33.7 | $29.5 | -12% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $33 | $30.7 | -7% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.15 | -17% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.35 | $7.03 | -4% |
| Utilities & household | -5% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $88.5 | $81 | -8% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.11 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.26 | $1.96 | -13% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.64 | $0.64 | 0% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.7 | $10.3 | -4% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $34 | $34.8 | +2% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.59 | $7.42 | +13% |
| Men's haircut | $13.8 | $14.1 | +2% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.6 | $10.2 | -19% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,022 | $871 | -15% |
3,038 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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