Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Rio de Janeiro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver?
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Brazil, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Brazil, The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRio de Janeiro $106Vancouver $142
The average daily cost (per person) in Rio de Janeiro is $106, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $142. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRio de Janeiro $67Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRio de Janeiro $134Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rio de Janeiro $8.04Vancouver $12
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride$2.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Private transfer to Ilha Grande.: $930
- From Private Transfer to São Paulo: $650
- Rio: Sambadrome Carnival Parade + transfer 2025 Sector 7: $471
- 2025: Rio Carnival Parade at Sapucaí with Transfer Sector 7: $471
- Rio Carnival 2025: Sambadrome Parade + Transfer Sector 5: $471
- 2025 Sambadrome Carnival Parade: Transfer Included Sector 5: $471
- Rio's 2025 Carnival Parade at Sapucaí + Transfer Sector 5: $471
- Rio Carnival 2025: Sambadrome Parade + Transfer (Sector 7): $471
- Helicopter Ride for 25 to 30min with Transfer service: $300
- All Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro to Ilha Grande: $275
- TRANSFER VAN Rio de Janeiro x Búzios/Arraial/Cabo Frio/Angra: $272
- From Private Transfer to Vila do Abraão: $246
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.40
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.78
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by SUV: $120
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Luxury Car: $163
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $93
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $93
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $186
- Canada Place Cruise Port: Transfer to Vancouver hotels: $428
- Canada Place Port to Vancouver Airport(YVR) - Departure Transfer : $55
- Departure Private Transfer: Vancouver to Vancouver Airport YVR in Luxury Car: $163
- Departure Private Transfer: Vancouver to Vancouver Airport YVR in Luxury SUV: $133
- Maximize Your Cruise Adventure: Vancouver Tour & Transfer: $292
- Mount Washington to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Transfer: $93
- Private Departure Transfer to Vancouver Airport (YVR): $32
Is it cheaper to fly into Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayRio de Janeiro $20Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn$0.59
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Corn on the Cob$0.79
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Hamburger$0.99
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Waterfront Dinner & Live Music Experience: $46
- Barra da Tijuca Food Tour with Drinks: $73
- THE BEST FOOD TOUR: $80
- Dinner & Rio Scenarium Nightclub Admission with Transfer: $85
- 9-Recipe Boozy Brazilian Cooking Class: $85
- Brazilian Meats and Snacks + South American Wines Guided Dinner: $89
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar: $106
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local: $113
- Rio Scenarium: Fast Track Entrance, Dinner & Open Bar: $115
- Brazilian Cooking Class: $129
- Samba Show Admission & Transfer with Dinner Option: $130
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $94
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
- Vancouver Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $100
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $142
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $153
- Evening Cruise with Dinner Buffet: $153
- Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $157
- Granville Island Uncorked Walking Food Tour: $161
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rio de Janeiro $22Vancouver $36
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Ilha Grande Tour Full day - Rio de Janeiro by Rio Eco Trip: $105
- 10-hour Private Tour Rio In One Day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Selarón, Downtown: $260
- 14 - Guided Tour to Quadra Do Salgueiro with Samba Show: $75
- 15 - Guided Tour to Santa Marta Favela: $150
- 16 - Guided Tour to Favela da Rocinha: $75
- 19 - Guided Tour to the Museum of Tomorrow and Olympic Boulevard: $90
- 2 Days in Rio: Tijuca Forest & Two Brothers Hiking Tours: $276
- 2 hours Hang Gliding Paragliding Full Package experience in Rio : $177
- 21 - Guided Tour to the Imperial City of Petrópolis with Lunch: $80
- 25 - Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande: $80
- 27 -Guided Tour to Christ the Redeemer and City in Rio de Janeiro: $75
- 3 Hour Boat Tour in Rio de Janeiro: $68
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Vancouver self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.31
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.75
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.82
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.11
- Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.19
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Tour: $5.19
- Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
- Historic Walking Tours of Vancouver with Then & Now Images!: $6.68
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.68
- Vancouver Downtown: Espionage Adventure Outdoor Escape Game: $6.99
- Self-Guided Smartphone Tour of Stanley Park: $7.31
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.42
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRio de Janeiro $12Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba: $33
- Pub Crawl in Lapa: $34
- Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district): $35
- Petropolis City Tour with Imperial Museum and Optional Lunch & Bohemia Brewery: $40
- Petropolis Bohemia: Historic tour and visit to the Bohemian Brewery: $60
- Walking tour + Pub crawl + Samba in Lapa: $65
- Petropolis City Tour + Bohemia Brewery + Lunch: $77
- Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains: $110
- Brazilian Wine Tasting Evening: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $132
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl ROUTE B: $18
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $26
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $88
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $138
- From Fraser Valley Wine Tour with Local Tastings: $139
- Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $148
- Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $165
- Fraser Valley & White Rock Premium Public Wine Tour: $166
- Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $167
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver, we can see that Vancouver is more expensive. And not only is Rio de Janeiro much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Rio de Janeiro is in South America and Vancouver is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Rio de Janeiro would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rio de Janeiro and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Vancouver would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vancouver than you might in Rio de Janeiro.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Vancouver. When comparing the sizes of Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Rio de Janeiro is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Vancouver has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver in the Summer?
Both Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro during the summer are popular places to visit.
In the summer, Rio de Janeiro is a little warmer than Vancouver. Typically, the summer temperatures in Rio de Janeiro in January average around 26°C (79°F), and Vancouver averages at about 18°C (64°F)in July.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro usually gets more rain in January than Vancouverin July. Rio de Janeiro gets 114 mm (4.5 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyRio de Janeiro 26°C (79°F)Vancouver 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver.
In April, Rio de Janeiro is generally much warmer than Vancouverin October. Daily temperatures in Rio de Janeiro average around 25°C (77°F), and Vancouver fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
Vancouver receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Rio de Janeiro gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Rio de Janeiro usually receives less rain than Vancouverin October. Rio de Janeiro gets 137 mm (5.4 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberRio de Janeiro 25°C (77°F)Vancouver 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Rio de Janeiro as well as Vancouver.
Vancouver can be very cold during winter. Rio de Janeiro is much warmer than Vancouver in the winter. The daily temperature in Rio de Janeiro averages around 21°C (70°F) in July, and Vancouver fluctuates around 4°C (40°F)in January.
It's quite rainy in Vancouver. Rio de Janeiro usually gets less rain in July than Vancouverin January. Rio de Janeiro gets 56 mm (2.2 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryRio de Janeiro 21°C (70°F)Vancouver 4°C (40°F)
Should I visit Rio de Janeiro or Vancouver in the Spring?
Both Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
In the spring, Rio de Janeiro is much warmer than Vancouver. Typically, the spring temperatures in Rio de Janeiro in October average around 23°C (73°F), and Vancouver averages at about 9°C (49°F)in April.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Vancouver. In October, Rio de Janeiro usually receives less rain than Vancouverin April. Rio de Janeiro gets 88 mm (3.5 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilRio de Janeiro 23°C (73°F)Vancouver 9°C (49°F)
Typical Weather for Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro
| Rio de Janeiro | Vancouver | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) | 4°C (40°F) | 167 mm (6.6 in) |
| Feb | 27°C (81°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) | 6°C (42°F) | 179 mm (7.1 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (79°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 142 mm (5.6 in) |
| Apr | 25°C (77°F) | 137 mm (5.4 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| May | 23°C (73°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Jun | 22°C (72°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) |
| Jul | 21°C (70°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) |
| Aug | 22°C (72°F) | 51 mm (2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Sep | 22°C (72°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) |
| Oct | 23°C (73°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Nov | 24°C (75°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 7°C (44°F) | 234 mm (9.2 in) |
| Dec | 25°C (77°F) | 169 mm (6.7 in) | 4°C (40°F) | 198 mm (7.8 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.