Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Report of what it's like to live there - 09/09/25
Personal Experiences from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, we previously lived in Latin America and Asia.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Overnight flight to FL and then 2.5 hours to DC.
3. What years did you live here?
2023-2025.
4. How long have you lived here?
Two years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We had a recently renovated apartment in Leblon. It was small for our family size and had next to zero storage. However, we loved that it was near the beach and walkable to everything. Commute was about 25 minutes in the early morning and 45 coming home. Copacabana and Flamengo families had better commutes to the Consulate. Copa apartments tend to be bigger but older and had more maintenance issue. Ipanema also very popular.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Similar. Cheaper produce prices at the local markets, but dry goods were similar to the US. Anything imported was expensive.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
We needed to increase the weight in a shipment so we sent a bunch of bulk goods in our HHE, specifically liquid items that can't go through DPO (or should not). We shipped a lot of pasta sauce, salsa and we should have sent more. Pasta sauce is expensive or terrible quality and salsa was almost non-existent on the marketplace. The Brazilian market does not like spicy! Otherwise most specialty items could be found like Asian products or spices, or shipped via DPO.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Rappi and iFood.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
We did not have issues with infestations because we had a recently renovated home. Others had issues with cockroaches and ants.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Inexpensive. I think about $50 (min) a day for housekeeping. Most families just hired someone once or twice a week. We had full time help as we both worked. Min wage for a full time nanny/housekeeper is $1700 BRL/month. Most consulate/expat families pay much more than that to get really good help - $3000-$5000 BRL/month.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
We walked everywhere, ran in zona sul all the time and did hikes in the Tijuca forest. The road along the beach closes on Sundays and holidays for 'ciclovia' and everyone goes biking and running. My favorite trail was from Leblon to Barra along the coast, it reopened in 2024. A lot of people participated in beach volleyball, futvoli, beach tennis, etc. This is very much an outdoor city and everyone walks around in their swimwear or athletic attire all year round.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Smart Fit is a big chain. There are others, very popular.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes, but you should definitely get PIX!
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Yes, English language mass at Our Lady of Mercy in Botofogo, English-language protestant service at Christ Church also in Botofogo. There are several synagogues but I don't know if any have services in English. Two LDS churches in zona sol, but both in Portuguese.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You need Portuguese to get by. There is not a lot of English spoken.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Sidewalks are a bit of challenge, not always ADA friendly. It's not the worst I've seen, but it's not up to US standards.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Metro costs a bit of $1 per ride and it is safe and reliable. Uber and taxis are permitted and not expensive.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Nothing big. Parking is quite tight. We had a CRV and I scraped it getting in and out of our garage multiple times.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes, easy set up first few days at post, never had a problem in two years.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
It is very casual here and warm most of the year. It's a beach city and vacation destination. If you're near the beach, everyone will be in their bathing suits or athletic attire. Lots of skin showing. The Consulate is quite casual, almost no one wears a suit. Even downtown, I did not see a lot of formal attire.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Lots and lots of street crime, mostly crimes of opportunity. Tons of people get their phones stolen. Don't use it while in public or better yet leave it at home. Don't take your phone to the beach if you can help it. Pay attention to RSO protocols. More serious crimes include a trend called "boa noite, Cinderella" where foreigners are approached by locals, drugged through drinks and robbed. The party scene has a dark side.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care is not bad. Dental care is great. Copa D'Or is a good hospital, I used the ER more than once and got prompt attention and it cost a fraction of what it would in the US.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Great AQI. Very few smoggy days.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Most of the consulate kids were at EARJ. If your kids don't know Portuguese, the main options are the British School, EARJ (American School), and Our Lady of Mercy. If your kids know Portuguese, lots more options open up for the local schools in Leblon, Ipanema, etc. My kids were at EARJ and we had a good experience. Be aware that the vast majority of the students are Brazilian and everyone speaks Portuguese.
Most of the expat kids I knew tended to stick together. There were reports of bullying, especially for minority kids, but the school instituted new policies related to this in Fall 2024 (?) and designated consequences for offenses which I think helped families and improved some experiences.
2. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
There are a few, but they are expensive! We opted for a nanny instead. After school activities exist, kids get home late because of traffic.
3. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Yes, lots of classes at the local clubs (Flamengo, Paisandu, etc) and through the schools.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Rio has one million things to do, so while morale is not low, community is not strong because people are busy doing stuff on their own.
2. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
I think it's great for everyone. I was there with my family and we always had something to do outside, the beach, parks, hiking, etc. Great for singles and couples, too; there's always some festival or party, fun travel opportunities in Brazil and South America.
3. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Yes, Brazilians are very friendly. We made a few friends. Most of my single or childless colleagues had a lot of local friends.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Yes. Extremely LGBT friendly.
5. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Iguazu Falls and living on the beach for two years!
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
We had lived in Latin America before, so we were ready for the street crime and poverty. I was surprised by how many homeless people were on the streets on zona sul and the drug use is quite high. People will approach you at the beach and offer drugs. You have to really be aware of your surroundings.
Brazil has free healthcare and social resources, but it struggles to keep up with the demand. There are areas of the city you should never visit because they are not safe. Despite the challenges, we had a wonderful time in Rio and I would go back in a heartbeat. Brazilians love the US, the culture is obsessed with Disney, and everyone has a cousin that lives in Florida or Massachusetts. It feels very comfortable to live here because the city is diverse, people are friendly and helpful, they love children, and they like to have fun.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
100%! I wanted to stay longer.
