Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Valencia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Valencia or Rio de Janeiro?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Valencia or Rio de Janeiro, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Valencia or Rio de Janeiro?
Valencia
Valencia is a port city that sits on Spain's southeastern Orange Blossom coast, where the Turia River meets the Mediterranean Sea. As the nation's third-largest city, it is continually innovative in the arts and sciences with some futuristic architecture including a planetarium, oceanarium, and an interactive museum. The nightlife and daytime culture both thrive in their own ways, bustling with limitless opportunities for sight-seeing and entertainment. While the city is surrounded by fertile farmland, its center is a modern metropolis, skirted by beautiful beaches.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, The Best 10-Day Tours in Brazil, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Brazil.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayValencia €123Rio de Janeiro €98
The average daily cost (per person) in Valencia is €123, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is €98. 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 Valencia and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personValencia €58Rio de Janeiro €62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomValencia €116Rio de Janeiro €124
Compare Hotels in Valencia and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Valencia or Rio de Janeiro? 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: Valencia Hotel Prices and Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Valencia €18Rio de Janeiro €7.43
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Valencia
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Valencia:
- Arrival Private Transfer Valencia Port to Valencia City by Van: $42
- Arrival Transfer Valencia Airport VLC to Valencia City by Minivan: $42
- Arrival Transfer Valencia Airport VLC to Valencia City by Sedan: $37
- Barcelona to Montserrat: Guided Tour & Return Bus Transfers: $46
- Departure Private Transfer Montserrat to Barcelona Airport or City by Luxury Van: $176
- From Albufera Day Trip with Boat Tour and Transfer: $59
- From Morella and Peñíscola Day Trip with Transfers: $118
- Private Transfer - Valencia Airport (VLC) to Valencia Cruise Port: $38
- Private Transfer Valencia Airport to Hotel: $109
- Private Transfer: Valencia Airport (VLC) to Valencia City Center: $27
- Private Transfer: Valencia City Center to Valencia Airport (VLC): $26
- Private Transfer: Valencia to VLC Airport in Business Car: $77
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€2.73
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- 2025 Sambadrome Carnival Parade: Transfer Included Sector 5: $471
- 2025: Rio Carnival Parade at Sapucaí with Transfer Sector 7: $471
- A transfer with safety and comfort in Rio: $45
- Airport Private Transfer - Premium Service: $65
- Airport Transfer: Rio de Janeiro to Airport GIG by Luxury Van: $125
- All Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro to Ilha Grande: $275
- All-You-Can-Eat Brazilian Churrascaria in Rio de Janeiro with Transfer: $80
- Angra dos Reis Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $53
- AquaRio Small Group Guided Tour with entrance and transfer: $60
- Arraial do Cabo Private Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $123
- Arraial do Cabo Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $54
- Arrival Private Transfer GIG or SDU Airport to Rio City by Minivan: $91
Is it cheaper to fly into Valencia or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Valencia 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 dayValencia €40Rio de Janeiro €19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Valencia
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Valencia.
- Flamenco at Toro y La Luna with Drinks or Dinner: $19
- Hard Rock Cafe Entrance with Lunch or Dinner: $32
- Traditional Spanish Home Dinner: $48
- Valencia Traditional Food Tour: $51
- Guided Food Tour with Chocolate Tasting Experience: $54
- Street Food Tour including Paella & Tapas Tasting: $59
- Paella Cooking Experience near the center of Valencia: $59
- Morning Food Tour with Central Market Visit: $64
- Cooking Class of traditional spanish food: $65
- Vegetable Paella cooking class, tapas and visit market: $66
- Valencian Paella cooking class, Tapas and Market Visit: $66
- Flamenco Show with Dinner at La Bulería: $70
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€0.55
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Corn on the Cob€0.73
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Hamburger€0.91
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Valencia €29Rio de Janeiro €20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Valencia
Here are a few typical costs in Valencia for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Flamenco Tour€16
Tours and Activities in Valencia
Here are a few actual costs in Valencia for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $3.77
- Self-Guided City Exploration Game and Walking Tour: $3.77
- Valencia Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
- In love with A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Between Two Gates Self-Guided Smartphone Tour: $7.99
- Between Two Gates: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in Valencia: $7.99
- Walking Tour with Audio Guide on App: $8.07
- Silk Museum Entry Ticket with Audio Guide: $8.61
- Historic Center Audio-Guided Tour with Earphones: $8.61
- Scavenger Hunt and Monumental Self-Guided Tour: $8.84
- Scavenger Hunt and Iconic Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.84
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Santa Teresa: the staircase: $6.99
- Rio de Janeiro (Ipanema & Copacabana) Self-Guided Tour: $7.73
- Rio de Janeiro (Urca) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.73
- Salvador Sights Self Guided Tour (Pelourinho): $7.78
- Rio de Janeiro (Urca) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.89
- Rio de Janeiro Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $9.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Story of Bossanova: Rhythm and soul of Rio: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Imperial Rio: $10
- Hiking Experience to Pedra do Telégrafo: $10
- Favela tour in copacabana with local guide!: $10
- Ticket to the match at maracanã of Flamengo: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayValencia €20Rio de Janeiro €11
Sample the Local Flavors in Valencia
Also in Valencia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Guided Pub Crawl with Free Shots: $13
- Pub Crawl Tour in the Old town of Valencia: $17
- Pub Crawl With Free Shots: $25
- Wine Tasting with Professional Sommelier in centre Valencia: $59
- From Guided Cheese Factory Tour with Wine Tasting: $91
- Local Tapas & Wine tasting experience: $91
- Wine Tasting and Tapas Experience: $102
- Cheese Factory Workshop with Wine Tasting in Requena, Valencia: $108
- From Requena Wine Tour with Tastings: $124
- Small Group - Half-Day Wine Tour: $126
- Two wineries tour with wine tasting : $131
- Christmas Tapas and Wine Tour in Valencia: $164
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Valencia and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Valencia is more expensive. And not only is Rio de Janeiro much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Valencia is in Europe and Rio de Janeiro is in South 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 Valencia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Valencia 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 Valencia Expensive? and Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Valencia or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Valencia. When comparing the sizes of Valencia and Rio de Janeiro, 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 Valencia or Rio de Janeiro?
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 Valencia has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Valencia or Rio de Janeiro in the Summer?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Valencia are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The beaches, the hiking, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Valencia this time of year.
In the summer, Valencia is around the same temperature as Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the summer temperatures in Valencia in July average around 25°C (76°F), and Rio de Janeiro averages at about 26°C (79°F)in January.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Rio de Janeiro. In July, Valencia usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin January. Valencia gets 9 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 114 mm (4.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryValencia 25°C (76°F)Rio de Janeiro 26°C (79°F)
Should I visit Valencia or Rio de Janeiro in the Autumn?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Valencia during the autumn are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Valencia for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In October, Valencia is generally cooler than Rio de Janeiroin April. Daily temperatures in Valencia average around 19°C (66°F), and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).
Rio de Janeiro gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Valencia usually gets less rain in October than Rio de Janeiroin April. Valencia gets 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 137 mm (5.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilValencia 19°C (66°F)Rio de Janeiro 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Valencia or Rio de Janeiro in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Valencia and Rio de Janeiro. Many visitors come to Valencia in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Valencia is much colder than Rio de Janeiro in the winter. The daily temperature in Valencia averages around 12°C (53°F) in January, and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in July.
In January, Valencia usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin July. Valencia gets 32 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 56 mm (2.2 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyValencia 12°C (53°F)Rio de Janeiro 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Valencia or Rio de Janeiro in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Valencia as well as Rio de Janeiro. Most visitors come to Valencia for the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty during these months.
In the spring, Valencia is cooler than Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the spring temperatures in Valencia in April average around 15°C (60°F), and Rio de Janeiro averages at about 23°C (73°F)in October.
Valencia usually gets less rain in April than Rio de Janeiroin October. Valencia gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 88 mm (3.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberValencia 15°C (60°F)Rio de Janeiro 23°C (73°F)
Typical Weather for Rio de Janeiro and Valencia
| Valencia | Rio de Janeiro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 12°C (53°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) |
| Feb | 12°C (54°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Mar | 14°C (56°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
| Apr | 15°C (60°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 137 mm (5.4 in) |
| May | 18°C (65°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jun | 22°C (71°F) | 23 mm (0.9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jul | 25°C (76°F) | 9 mm (0.4 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| Aug | 25°C (77°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Sep | 23°C (73°F) | 47 mm (1.9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (66°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Nov | 15°C (58°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Dec | 12°C (54°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 169 mm (6.7 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.