Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Vilnius?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Vilnius and Rio de Janeiro. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro?
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital and largest city in the country of Lithuania. It has a population of more than 500,000 residents and is located in the valley between the Neris River and the Vilnia River in the southeastern part of the country. Visitors come to the city for its beautiful Old Town, impressive architecture, and fascinating culture. In 2009 it was named the European Capital of Culture along with the city of Linz, in Austria.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Vilnius, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Lithuania, 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 dayVilnius €94Rio de Janeiro €98
The average daily cost (per person) in Vilnius is €94, 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 Vilnius and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVilnius €42Rio de Janeiro €62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVilnius €84Rio de Janeiro €124
Compare Hotels in Vilnius and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Vilnius 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: Vilnius Hotel Prices and Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vilnius €8.30Rio de Janeiro €7.43
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vilnius
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vilnius:
- Arrival Transfer from Vilnius VNO Airport to Vilnius by Minivan: $46
- From Druskininkai & Grutas Park Tour with Transfer: $517
- Private Transfer: Vilnius to Klaipeda or Klaipeda to Vilnius via Trakai Castle: $241
- Private Vilnius Airport Arrival Transfer: $27
- Riga / Tallinn / Vilnius. Transfer Between Baltic States: $645
- Riga: Bus Transfer to/from Vilnius: $20
- Transfer from Kaunas Airport to Vilnius: $215
- Vilnius Airport (VNO): Bus Transfer to/from Gdansk: $52
- Vilnius Airport Transfer: $52
- Vilnius Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Riga: $24
- Vilnius Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Warsaw: $36
- Vilnius Private 1-Way Airport Transfer: $54
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:
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Rio de Janeiro City center - Airport (GIG): $13
- Private transfer from Airport GIG to Rio City center-Copacabana: $15
- Rio Galeão Airport (GIG): Shuttle Transfer to/from Hotels: $15
- Rio Santos Dumont (SDU): Shuttle Transfer to/from Hotels: $15
- Private transfer Economico GIG Rio Galeao airport up to 3 pax to Zona Sul: $18
- Shared Transfer From or To Airport: $19
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Rio de Janeiro City center - Airport (SDU): $19
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU) - Rio City Center: $19
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Rio de Janeiro City Center -Airport (SDU): $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer (Galeao Airport To Rio): $20
- One Way Shared Transfer from Airport to hotels in Rio de Janeiro: $20
- Transfer service from / to International Airport (GIG) - Zona Sul: $21
Is it cheaper to fly into Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Vilnius 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 dayVilnius €40Rio de Janeiro €19
Typical Food Prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of dining costs in Vilnius are as follows:
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Dinner for Two€13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vilnius
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vilnius.
- Private National Dinner with Folk Show: $60
- Dinner in local family: $74
- Flavors of Vilnius - Private Walking Food Tour: $191
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.Vilnius €9.72Rio de Janeiro €20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Vilnius are as follows:
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Walking Tour€5.79
Tours and Activities in Vilnius
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vilnius are as follows:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.46
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $6.46
- Vilnius Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.56
- Secrets of Old Vilnius Smartphone App GPS Audio Walking Tour: $7.50
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Skip the Line: Europos Parkas, Open-Air Museum Ticket Vilnius, Lithuania: $12
- Vibrant Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $14
- Regular walking tour of Jewish Vilnius: $19
- Regular walking tour of Soviet Vilnius: $19
- Private Europos Parkas Tour with Entrance Ticket: $19
- Regular walking tour of Jewish Vilnius: $19
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 dayVilnius €6.38Rio de Janeiro €11
Typical Alcohol Prices in Vilnius
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Vilnius from other travelers:
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Beer€4.34
Sample the Local Flavors in Vilnius
Also in Vilnius, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Beer degustation at Bear & Boar Brewery Taproom: $43
- Vilnius Private Pub & Bar Crawl Tour & Hidden Gems: $46
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 comparing the travel costs between Vilnius and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Rio de Janeiro is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Vilnius is in Europe and Rio de Janeiro is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vilnius Expensive? and Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Vilnius. When comparing the sizes of Vilnius 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 Vilnius 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 Vilnius has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Vilnius and Rio de Janeiro. Most visitors come to Vilnius for the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In the summer, Vilnius is cooler than Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the summer temperatures in Vilnius in July average around 18°C (65°F), and Rio de Janeiro averages at about 26°C (79°F)in January.
Rio de Janeiro receives a lot of rain in the summer. In July, Vilnius usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin January. Vilnius gets 78 mm (3.1 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 JanuaryVilnius 18°C (65°F)Rio de Janeiro 26°C (79°F)
Should I visit Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Vilnius as well as Rio de Janeiro. The autumn months attract visitors to Vilnius because of the shopping scene and the natural beauty of the area.
In October, Vilnius is generally much colder than Rio de Janeiroin April. Daily temperatures in Vilnius average around 8°C (46°F), and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).
It's quite rainy in Rio de Janeiro. Vilnius usually gets less rain in October than Rio de Janeiroin April. Vilnius gets 53 mm (2.1 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 AprilVilnius 8°C (46°F)Rio de Janeiro 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro in the Winter?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Vilnius are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Vilnius this time of year.
It's quite cold in Vilnius in the winter. Vilnius is much colder than Rio de Janeiro in the winter. The daily temperature in Vilnius averages around -5°C (23°F) in January, and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in July.
In January, Vilnius usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin July. Vilnius gets 41 mm (1.6 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 JulyVilnius -5°C (23°F)Rio de Janeiro 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Vilnius or Rio de Janeiro in the Spring?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Vilnius during the spring are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Vilnius for the natural beauty.
In the spring, Vilnius is much colder than Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the spring temperatures in Vilnius in April average around 7°C (45°F), and Rio de Janeiro averages at about 23°C (73°F)in October.
Vilnius usually gets less rain in April than Rio de Janeiroin October. Vilnius gets 46 mm (1.8 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 OctoberVilnius 7°C (45°F)Rio de Janeiro 23°C (73°F)
Typical Weather for Rio de Janeiro and Vilnius
| Vilnius | Rio de Janeiro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -5°C (23°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) |
| Feb | -4°C (26°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Mar | 1°C (33°F) | 39 mm (1.5 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
| Apr | 7°C (45°F) | 46 mm (1.8 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 137 mm (5.4 in) |
| May | 14°C (57°F) | 62 mm (2.4 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jun | 17°C (63°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jul | 18°C (65°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| Aug | 18°C (64°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Sep | 13°C (56°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 8°C (46°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Nov | 2°C (36°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Dec | -2°C (29°F) | 55 mm (2.2 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.