How much does a trip to Brazil cost? What goes into the budget

At a glance

We do not publish a cost “per person”, and that is on purpose. A couple spending a week in Rio in July and a family of five over New Year’s Eve end up with completely different budgets, and an average figure helps neither. The real numbers go into your proposal once we know your dates.

What the budget is made of

Flights

Flights from Europe and the Americas are priced by date, so without exact dates nobody can name the fare. It depends on:

• when you fly out and back, especially if the trip falls on New Year’s Eve or Carnival;
• the airline, the route and how long the connection is;
• whether you land in Rio or in São Paulo and fly on;
• the fare rules: checked bags, changes, refunds;
• domestic flights if the route covers several regions.

We do not sell flights, but we plan the ground part around them.

Accommodation

Dates come first, then the area, the format (hotel or apartment, and what level) and how many of you there are. Holiday dates fill up fast: over New Year 2025-2026, hotels in Copacabana and Leme were 91.83% full (HotéisRIO), and before Carnival 2026 occupancy in Rio passed 91%. Book these dates before anything else. Areas side by side: where to stay in Rio; options for your dates: Rio accommodation.

Food and tips

Every restaurant sets its own prices, so there is no useful average. One thing to expect: bills often include a service charge. Law 13.419 of 2017 says a charge added as service counts as a tip and goes to the staff, and the law does not make it compulsory. If you usually tip, plan for it in your food budget.

Transport

In Rio the metro covers most daytime trips. Taxis and ride apps add up with distance, late hours and the number of rides, and a private driver carries the whole party with the bags in one car. Fares and tariffs are on the operators’ official sites. See getting around Rio.

Tours and tickets

Entry tickets to the main sights are sold by their official operators: the price is on the official site, and we confirm it for your dates when we book. For tours, the main question is private or shared: a private guide and car for your party costs more than a seat in a group, and you get your own pace and route. Our proposal always shows whether entry tickets are included and what you pay on the spot.

Events: New Year’s Eve and Carnival

The night on Copacabana beach is a public event, but the cost around it adds up: hotels on holiday dates, a place to watch from, and transport planned around closures. Last time the city closed every access to Copacabana to all vehicles from 21:00 on 31 December. Carnival adds Sambadrome seats; the Special Group parades on 7, 8 and 9 February 2027 (LIESA). See New Year’s Eve in Rio and Rio Carnival.

Local fees beyond Rio

Some places charge visitors a fee. Fernando de Noronha’s TPA environmental fee is paid by every non-resident and depends on the number of days. Angra dos Reis, Ilha Grande included, has required its Taxa de Turismo Sustentável since June 2026. We check the fees that apply to your route when we build it.

Insurance and connectivity

The UK FCDO notes that private hospitals will not accept you unless you can show you have enough money or insurance to cover treatment. A policy with medical cover belongs in the budget. You will also need data from the moment you land: roaming, a travel eSIM or a Brazilian prepaid line, which has to be registered before it works. See Brazil SIM card and eSIM and money in Brazil.

What moves the budget up or down

Season also decides the weather you pay for. Rio and the south-east are wettest from November to March (FCDO), and ICMBio recommends the Pantanal from May to September. Our best time to visit Brazil guide sets out each region month by month, and the events calendar lists the dates that fill hotels.

How our proposal shows the cost

You get a proposal with the full price for the services we arrange, what is included and what you pay on the spot. The price in the proposal already includes our fee. When you book, you pay our deposit, which equals that fee; the rest goes to the provider as the proposal describes. Terms and payment are set out in the proposal, and you pay nothing before you confirm. Details: how we work.

What to tell us in your request

• Dates, or the month you can travel and how flexible it is
• Cities and regions you want to see
• Number of people, and the ages of any children
• Hotel or apartment, the level, and a budget per night if you have one
• Fixed events: New Year’s Eve, Carnival, Formula 1
• Your flights, if already booked

Want to know what your own trip would cost? Write to us with your dates, how many of you there are and what you want to do.