Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Zurich?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Zurich 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 Zurich 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: Zurich or Rio de Janeiro?
Zurich
Zurich has the biggest connection for trains in Switzerland. It also has the country's biggest and busiest airport. Because of its importance as a transportation center, it is likely to be the first place you visit in Switzerland. It is the financial capital of the country (although, contrary to what you may have thought, not the political capital). It has many international companies, and is home to the country's stock exchange.
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 Sightseeing Tours in Switzerland, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Switzerland, 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 dayZurich $271Rio de Janeiro $106
The average daily cost (per person) in Zurich is $271, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is $106. 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 Zurich and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personZurich $171Rio de Janeiro $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZurich $342Rio de Janeiro $134
Compare Hotels in Zurich and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Zurich 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: Zurich Hotel Prices and Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Zurich $36Rio de Janeiro $8.04
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Zurich
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Zurich:
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City Pass (2)$29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zurich
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zurich:
- Airport Zurich Transfer Mercedes E Class 3pax: $122
- Airport Zurich Transfer Mercedes V-Class 6pax: $167
- Arrival Private Transfer from Zurich Airport ZRH to Zurich City by Luxury Van: $138
- Arrival Transfer: Zurich Airport ZRH to Zurich in Luxury Van: $91
- Arrival Transfer from Zurich Airport ZRH to Zurich City in Private Car/Van: $95
- Davos: Private Transfer to/from Zurich Airport: $608
- Departure Private Transfer from Zurich to Zurich Airport ZRH by Luxury Van: $138
- Departure Transfer from Zurich City to Zurich Airport ZRH in Private Car/Van: $95
- EnglishPrivate One Way Transfer Zurich Airport To Davos: $377
- From Zurich Airport: Private Transfer to Lucerne: $317
- From Canyoning in Interlaken w/ Return Transfer: $260
- From Rafting in Interlaken w/ Return Transfer: $260
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:
- 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 Zurich or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Zurich 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 dayZurich $62Rio de Janeiro $20
Typical Food Prices in Zurich
Some typical examples of dining costs in Zurich are as follows:
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Breakfast for 2$13
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zurich $36Rio de Janeiro $22
Tours and Activities in Zurich
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zurich are as follows:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Zurich in the Mirror of the Past: Self-Guided Reading Tour: $5.52
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.40
- Escape Game and Tour: $6.46
- Zurich Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Tour: $6.46
- Best of Zürich: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in English: $7.95
- Fun adventure tour of Outdoor Escape Game: $8.60
- Historical Zürich: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Through the city of 1,000 Fountains: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Zürich: Swiss Finance Museum Admission Ticket: $11
- The Dark Side of Self-Guided Audio City Tour: $11
- Zurich in the Mirror of the Past: Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
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 dayZurich $30Rio de Janeiro $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Zurich
Also in Zurich, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Nightlife Tour with Shots and Snacks: $33
- Informative wine tasting with Italian appetizers in the secure wine cellar: $155
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 Zurich and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Zurich is more expensive. And not only is Rio de Janeiro much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Zurich 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 Zurich would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Zurich 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 Zurich Expensive? and Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Zurich or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Zurich. When comparing the sizes of Zurich 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 Zurich 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 Zurich has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Zurich or Rio de Janeiro in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Zurich and Rio de Janeiro. Most visitors come to Zurich for the music scene and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In the summer, Zurich is cooler than Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the summer temperatures in Zurich in July average around 21°C (70°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, Zurich usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin January. Zurich gets 89 mm (3.5 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 JanuaryZurich 21°C (70°F)Rio de Janeiro 26°C (79°F)
Should I visit Zurich or Rio de Janeiro in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Zurich as well as Rio de Janeiro. The autumn months attract visitors to Zurich because of the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In October, Zurich is generally much colder than Rio de Janeiroin April. Daily temperatures in Zurich average around 13°C (56°F), and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).
It's quite rainy in Rio de Janeiro. Zurich usually gets less rain in October than Rio de Janeiroin April. Zurich gets 70 mm (2.8 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 AprilZurich 13°C (56°F)Rio de Janeiro 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Zurich or Rio de Janeiro in the Winter?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Zurich 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 Zurich this time of year.
It's quite cold in Zurich in the winter. Zurich is much colder than Rio de Janeiro in the winter. The daily temperature in Zurich averages around 3°C (37°F) in January, and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in July.
In January, Zurich usually receives more rain than Rio de Janeiroin July. Zurich gets 77 mm (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 JulyZurich 3°C (37°F)Rio de Janeiro 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Zurich or Rio de Janeiro in the Spring?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Zurich during the spring are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Zurich for the natural beauty.
In the spring, Zurich is much colder than Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the spring temperatures in Zurich in April average around 12°C (53°F), and Rio de Janeiro averages at about 23°C (73°F)in October.
Zurich usually gets less rain in April than Rio de Janeiroin October. Zurich gets 79 mm (3.1 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 OctoberZurich 12°C (53°F)Rio de Janeiro 23°C (73°F)
Typical Weather for Rio de Janeiro and Zurich
| Zurich | Rio de Janeiro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 3°C (37°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) |
| Feb | 5°C (40°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Mar | 8°C (46°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
| Apr | 12°C (53°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 137 mm (5.4 in) |
| May | 16°C (60°F) | 101 mm (4 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jun | 19°C (66°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jul | 21°C (70°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| Aug | 21°C (69°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Sep | 18°C (64°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 13°C (56°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Nov | 7°C (45°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Dec | 4°C (39°F) | 83 mm (3.3 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.