Many people wish to live in Rio, but it is usually hard to know how much you are going to spend on a monthly basis, especially if you are not used to the local currency.
Living in Rio de Janeiro can cost between USD 1K to 2,5K a month, including bills, transportation, food, and rental. We consolidated the below table to help you understand the costs of living in Rio.
| Category | Single | Couple | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 360 | 620 | 895 |
| Groceries | 140 | 180 | 240 |
| Utility Bills | 110 | 155 | 250 |
| Health Insurance | 337 | 675 | 850 |
| Transportation | 50 | 70 | 100 |
| Leisure | 75 | 150 | 250 |
| TOTAL | 1K | 1,8K | 2,5K |
We also have a video that shows you the prices of groceries in a supermarket in the South Zone of Rio:
I’m going to break down that monthly estimate into topics, so make sure to read to the end of the post, as I’ll put in some inside information that should be useful if you’re looking more into moving to Rio.
Prices throughout this article were converted using the Aug 12th, 2020 exchange rate, where USD 1 converts to BRL 5,44.
How To Rent or Buy Real Estate in Rio de Janeiro
Since we have so much to go over, I thought it’d make things easier to divide this topic by region and expand a bit on the pros and cons of each one of them.
Renting a place in Rio (or in Brazil in general) for a non-Brazilian can be a very bureaucratic and complicated process, but there are a few ways you can go about it.
Renting through a Real Estate Agency / Directly with the Landlord
If you decide to rent a house or apartment with a Real Estate Agency or to deal directly with the landlord, you’ll need the following documentation to be up to date:
- Income statements
- Current address in your home country
- Updated Passport
- Updated Work Visa
- A local Brazilian citizen to be the guarantor
This way, the tenant will be able to sign a guaranteed contract with the real state agency, which will take full responsibility for any/every damage that may be caused to the tenant/apartment.
Having a guarantor is indispensable if you want to rent with a real state agency, but if you try to negotiate directly with the landlord, some may not require it.
Renting through Rental Apps (such as Quinto Andar or Zap Imóveis)
If you’re looking for a practical option to rent your place even before you get to Rio, there are a few apps that can help you while looking for the perfect apartment.
Unlike dealing with a Real Estate Agency, these apps do not require a guarantor to proceed with a rental, which can make things easier.
You’ll need the following documentation for renting a house or apartment through an app:
- Income statements for the last three months
- Updated Work Visa
- RNE (National Foreign Registration)
All documentation is sent through the app itself, and after your registration gets approved, you’ll be able to apply for rentals compatible with your income and sign your contract.
Any problems can be reported directly to the app, and they will deal directly with the landlord.
Buying through a Real Estate Agency / Directly with the Landlord
If you’re looking to buy your own place, you’ll need the following updated documents:
- CPF (local Brazilian Social Security number)
If you’re outside Brazil and wish to apply for a local CPF, you can go on Brazil’s IRS website, and it will provide you with the form you’ll need to fill out.
- Birth or Marriage Certificate
- Passport/RNE
- Proof of Address
Even though we didn’t include IPTU (Brazilian Annual Property tax) building maintenance (condo fees) in the rental calculations below, in Brazil the payment of these fees is a responsibility of the tenant, so make sure you consider it in your budget.
South Zone – Ipanema / Leblon / Copacabana / Flamengo / Botafogo
Home of some of Rio’s most famous beaches, these south zone districts also houses some of the most expensive realty in the city.
Due to being so close to the beach and also for being a notorious tourist spot, the cost of living here is not only higher in regards to accommodations, but also concerning supermarkets and general leisure.
Rental Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Rent* | USD 500 | USD 825 | USD 1255 |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Buying Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price* | USD 173K | USD 222K | USD 577K |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
With realties considerably less expensive in comparison to the ones in the south zone of Rio, the districts located in the north portion of the city also house some great choices if you want to save a bit on accommodations and don’t mind taking a bit longer to get to the beach.
Since there are a lot of old buildings here, you’ll have a more challenging time finding anything under 755ft², making this an excellent choice if you’re moving in with a partner or your family.
Pros: close to the beach, subway stations and bus stops, safer than other parts of the city
Cons: cost of living is much higher than other parts of the city
If you want to check out a few South Zone neighborhoods, check out this video right here:
North Zone – Tijuca, Maracanã, Vila Isabel, Grajaú
Rental Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Rent* | USD 350 | USD 450 | USD 600 |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Buying Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price* | USD 65K | USD 110K | USD 170K |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Pros: close to subway stations and bus stops, less expensive living cost, close to big supermarkets
Cons: not as safe as the districts in the south zone of Rio, can be noisy depending on the area
Downtown – Lapa, Santa Teresa, Catete
Downtown Rio can be best described as a mixed bag. While you’ll find some pretty small apartments that may require some restoration, you can also rent or buy spacious places, so having a closer look is advised here.
If you’re looking to move on your own, you’ll find tons of options in Downtown Rio as many apartments are designed for just one person.
Rental Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Rent* | USD 250 | USD 380 | USD 600 |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Buying Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price* | USD 65K | USD 87K | USD 145K |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Pros: close to subway stations and bus stops (except for Santa Teresa), less expensive living cost, close to big supermarkets
Cons: not as safe as the districts in the south zone of Rio, can be noisy depending on the location
By the way, we did a full video on the nightlife of Rio de Janeiro where we show a lot of cool places to go in Rio’s Downtown area, so make sure to check it out!
Barra da Tijuca/ Recreio
Barra da Tijuca and Recreio are two districts in Rio that, although a bit more remote in terms of distance to the rest of the city, can also give you some exciting living options.
They are very close to less crowded beaches such as Praia do Pepê and Praia da Macumba, so that’s a plus if you want to live near the water but aren’t a fan of big groups of people.
The lifestyle in both these districts is very car-centered, so to make the local’s lives more comfortable, a lot of the apartment complexes have facilities like convenience stores, gyms, and recreational centers in their perimeters, which also ends up increasing rental/buying considerably.
Rental Averages
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Rent* | USD 340 | USD 830 | USD 1125 |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Buying Averages:
| Single | Couple | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price* | USD 100K | USD 160K | USD 282K |
| Average Size (ft²) | 270 to 755 ft² | 755 to 1300 ft² | 1076 to 1615 ft² |
Pros: close to less crowded beaches, luxury bigger apartments
Cons: distant from other parts of the city, having a car is nearly essential
Groceries & Supermarket Expenses
In Brazil, people mostly do their shopping in big supermarket chains, but there are also local mini-stores and street markets in which you can buy your groceries for better prices depending on what you’re looking for.
For example, street farmer’s markets are great for buying fresh fruits, meat cuts, and vegetables for a little less, but you won’t be able to find any personal hygiene products there.
On the other side, some supermarket chains often make big sales on certain commodities, such as cleaning products, for example. So if you’re looking to spend less, it might be a good idea to shop around instead of only going to one place.
Supermarket Weekly Expense
To give you a more accurate estimate of spending values for food and supplies in Rio, I went asking several friends and relatives how much they spent per week in the supermarket.
For this calculation, I took into consideration just essential items such as:
- General groceries (bread, coffee, butter, milk, eggs, pasta, water, etc.)
- Meat cuts (cow, chicken, fish)
- Personal hygiene supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
- Cleaning supplies (sanitary water, detergent, bleach, washing powder, etc.)
I interviewed different types of households with varying numbers of family members and asked for this information to compare their final weekly expenses. Below is the result I got:
| Single | Couple | Family |
|---|---|---|
| USD 35 | USD 45 | USD 60 |
One thing that can alter the final price of your grocery list is which supermarket chain you choose to do your shopping. To give you a better look in which ones are more or less expensive than the others, I made the following list
- Affordable – Mundial
- Standard – Extra, Prix, Guanabara (this last one has automatic audio on their page, be careful if at work)
- Premium – Pão de Açúcar, Zona Sul
Wholesale Dispensers
If you live in a big place and have some storage room, you can also buy in bulk on specified wholesale local stores, which can save you some money in the long run. Here’s a list of a few of them in Rio:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Birmingham_Wholesale_Markets.jpg
Street Farmer’s Markets
As I stated before, street farmers’ markets in Brazil are exclusively a place to buy fresh food such as fruits, vegetables, and meat cuts.
Usually, people bring their shopping carts or bags with them, as these street markets typically take up a whole street, so you can only imagine the variety of products you can find.
Weekly, considering a shopping list consisting of all the groups mentioned above, you’ll probably spend around USD 40 per month in these markets.
They usually happen once a week in specified streets throughout Rio’s districts, so make sure you have your grocery list always ready!
You can check the addresses and working hours on the Rio de Janeiro townhall website here.
Utility Bills
Concerning monthly utility bills, I also asked the same households on how much they spend on water, gas, electricity, and some other additional expenses you may have (cable, streaming services, internet).
Here’s what I was able to gather:
| 1 Person | 2 People | 3 People | |
| Electricity | USD 30 | USD 45 | USD 75 |
| Water | USD 25 | USD 30 | USD 40 |
| Gas | USD 5 | USD 18 | USD 30 |
| Cable | USD 25 | USD 40 | USD 60 |
| Internet | USD 15 | USD 15 | USD 30 |
| Streaming Services | USD 5 | USD 5 | USD 7 |
Keep in mind that these calculations can vary depending on the season, as in most people’s energy bills goes up a lot during Summer due to fans and air conditioners being used more often (summertime is Rio can be cruel!).
Health Insurance
One of the main concerns of people coming to live outside their home country is how to go about getting Health Insurance.
Rio de Janeiro has a lot of health plans you can get, but I would advise Unimed if you’re also looking to travel outside of Rio de Janeiro during your time in Brazil, as it has the best coverage throughout the country.
How To Get Health Insurance in Rio?
If you’re coming to live in Brazil for work reasons, your company is the one responsible for the arrangements for the Health Plan.
Otherwise, you can get in contact with any of the insurance companies based in Rio, and they’ll be able to sign you up.
Here’s a list of Brazil’s major health insurance companies:
- Unimed
- Golden Cross
- Assim
- Bradesco
- Sulamérica
- Amil
How does Health Insurance work, and how much does it cost?
Health Insurance for foreigners works very similarly to locals. You can pick whatever category fits you best based on what you can afford and what services are most important to you.
You can also choose the for how long your Health Insurance will be in effect if you have an established date to leave the country.
So, for example, if you’re staying for six months, you can opt to maintain your health plan just for that period.
To give you a better idea on public transportation and uber/yellow cab fares, I made the following table:
| Category | Single Trip Fare |
| Bus Fare | USD 0.80 |
| Subway Fare | USD 1.00 |
| Uber Fare (based on an average of different trips to different parts of the city) | USD 5.60 |
The primary documentation for you to apply for Health Insurance in Rio is the following:
- Local Residence Address
- CPF (local Brazilian Social Security number)
Again, if you’re outside Brazil and wish to apply for a local CPF, you can go on Brazil’s IRS website and fill out the form.
I checked with a few of the Health Insurance companies in Rio to give you a better idea on prices, and this is what I was able to gather:
| Age Range | Average Price* |
| 0 – 18 | USD 50 to 125 |
| 30 – 40 | USD 95 to 222 |
| 40 – 50 | USD 99 to 580 |
Transportation
For moving around the city, there are many options you can choose from. Most locals use the bus lines and subway daily, but if you’re not familiar with Rio de Janeiro, I would advise not to take buses, as they are less safe than the subway.
The subway lines are somewhat limited, but will probably be able to take you to your destination, or at least, very close to it.
The city also counts with a surface train system, which can take you to other counties in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
If you’re looking to drive around the city, I was also able to get some information on rental vehicles as well as used and new cars for purchase. I’ve researched the model Gol by Volkswagen, which is a popular model in the country:
| Category | Single Trip Fare |
| New Volkswagen Gol 2020 | USD 12k |
| Used Volkswagen Gold 2015 | USD 7k |
| Rental Car / per day | USD 15.40 |
The gasoline price in the city is currently around USD 0.99 per liter (around USD 4.50 per gallon).
Leisure
It’s also important to have an idea of how much it costs to have fun and enjoy the city. Since there are so many things to do, I decided to make a list of different activities in you do around the city with an estimate on prices:
- Movies – USD 7.00
- Theater – USD 8.00 to 25.00
- Average Admittance Fee in closed bars and clubs – USD 10.00
- Museums – USD 5.00
- Zoo – USD 3.00
- Aquarium – USD 15.00
- Cableway ride to the Cristo Redentor monument – USD 20.00
- Corcovado Entrance Fee – USD 17.00
- Jardim Botanico Entrance Fee – USD 3.00
And for foods and drinks:
| Beer (600ml bottle) | USD 3.00 |
| Assorted drinks (single) | USD 4.00 to 6.00 |
| Water bottle (200ml) | USD 1.00 |
| Iced Tea | USD 1.20 |
| Assorted Soft Drinks | USD 1.00 |
| Big Mac | USD 4.00 |
| Subway Sandwich | USD 2.00 to 4.00 |
The rent estimate was calculated based on the district prices average, depending on where you decide to live, prices might be higher or lower.
Here’s what I was able to gather.
Final Math
To give a general estimate on the monthly cost to live in Rio de Janeiro, I made some assumptions regarding the categories we’ve discussed.
I’ve considered people between ages 30 to 45 (for Single and Couple categories), with kids between ages 5 to 15 (for the Family column), who use public transportation four times a week and uber rides once in a while, go out twice a month and order food services also twice a month.
I hope I was able to cover most basis in regards to expenses in Rio de Janeiro and clear some of your questions. If you’re looking to moving into the city, check this post about what music Brazilian people listen to, turn up the radio and start getting in the mood of our local culture!
Also, if you want to explore other places to live in Brazil, check our post about living in Curitiba, considered for many years the best city in Brazil to live in!