This NY Times article points out how hard it is to have a cheap weekend in Rio- unless you just want to hit the beach!

$100 Rio

Lots and lots of things to do. And at low cost or free. Ditto on restaurants, inexpensive, por quilo restaurants are everywhere. One just needs to know where to look.

e.g. free music performances at Noon at the Light headquarters on Marechal Floriano.Always interesting, frequently changing art exhibits at the BBCC. Last month there was a great exhibit taking up multiple rooms on the works of Laurie Anderson. This past Tuesday begin a one month exhibition of the works of Mariko Mori. And right behind at the Centro Cultural Correios with a super retrospective of the works of poet/writer/critic/translator Fernando Pessoa.

An unbeatable place to be after work on Friday at Rua do Comercio off of the Praca XV for the end-of-the week party with lots of live music, espetinhos/skewered-roasted meats and cheap beer followed by the rest of the evening in Lapa/Bairro de Fatima.

Tons of cheap stuff. Including cheap boys at the Marinha da Gloria, Campo de Sant'anna and Central.

I agree blend in with local people and go to local event and you can do many cheap things. The same thing happened to me in Seoul last time I was there. It's a very expensive city but if you know the place you can shop and eat relatively cheap. I paid less than 8 dollars for a great dumpling soup and etc. I still remember the flavor. Oh my it's lunch time soon. I'm going to a buffet restaurant with my friend. Hugs~~

Lots and lots of things to do. And at low cost or free. Ditto on restaurants, inexpensive, por quilo restaurants are everywhere. One just needs to know where to look.

e.g. free music performances at Noon at the Light headquarters on Marechal Floriano.Always interesting, frequently changing art exhibits at the BBCC. Last month there was a great exhibit taking up multiple rooms on the works of Laurie Anderson. This past Tuesday begin a one month exhibition of the works of Mariko Mori. And right behind at the Centro Cultural Correios with a super retrospective of the works of poet/writer/critic/translator Fernando Pessoa.

An unbeatable place to be after work on Friday at Rua do Comercio off of the Praca XV for the end-of-the week party with lots of live music, espetinhos/skewered-roasted meats and cheap beer followed by the rest of the evening in Lapa/Bairro de Fatima.

Tons of cheap stuff. Including cheap boys at the Marinha da Gloria, Campo de Sant'anna and Central.

I read recently, can't recall where, that Rio de janeiro is one of the most expensive places to visit now! That is a far cry from where "she" was when many of us began our journeys there, beginning in the late 90s and early 2000's. I'll get my experience with the dollar's taking a huge beating when I travel there in October.

My friend and I plan to share a two bedroom apartment in Ipanema or Copacabana. We, more than likely, will eat our breakfast and lunch and dinner, if we have three meals daily, out!

But I think we'll buy some good bread, cheeses, yogurt, fruit, and a few other items and have breakfast at home. Lunch will be out as well as dinner.

I'll report while I am there (if I can) as well as when I return! I'll also just relate the costs of things in general for the benefit of others.

In Rio, I usually eat a big breakfast, then an early evening snack consisting of huge sausages, followed by a late night dinner at that place whose name I can never spell..Corujinha's or something like that. Their pizza is good. The money I save on lunch goes to impoverished young men.

This NY Times article points out how hard it is to have a cheap weekend in Rio- unless you just want to hit the beach!

$100 Rio

It's sad to see what has happened to the dollar over the last decade. The Euro was introduced at US$ 0.75. Now that has flipped. The Canadian exchange rate was north of $CND 1.55 per US$ back in 2001/2002. Now the US dollar is worth less than the Loony

Clearly, globalization and US tax and trade policy has sent us down the toilet in the last decade. I see nothing changing to affect that. We are a banana republic with the oligarchy getting richer and richer while the country gets poorer and poorer. Thanks Bush II and Wall St and the US Chamber of Commerce... oh, and Clinton and Ruben too for the 1999 repeal of the 1930s-era Glass-Steagal Act.

Over at gaytravelbrazil, some of the guys on the May trip got the Atlantico Hotel for $103 a night. Using the same website, I could only get it for $147 a night in August. I haven't booked anything yet, as $147 would get me a five star hotel in Bangkok...

Over at gaytravelbrazil, some of the guys on the May trip got the Atlantico Hotel for $103 a night. Using the same website, I could only get it for $147 a night in August. I haven't booked anything yet, as $147 would get me a five star hotel in Bangkok...

Not to mention at least five local support pesonnel to help with your luggage and such.

Now that I am back and have had all my receipts totalled up.. It appears that for my 6nite, 7day vacation to Rio. I spent (not including airfare and/or hotel), right around $1200 USD.. That includes 8 programmas, sauna entrance, all food and beverages, having my laundry done for me so I wouldnt have to when I got home,...all out of pocket expenses. The trip could have been done for less if I on a tighter budget. Hopefully that will give you guys a little basis for comparison. Airfare will of course vary greatly depending on your origen, the airline, if you use miles, etc.. and hotels can vary greatly. I was lucky to find the two bedroom apartment right around the corner from the Copacabana Palace hotel for $100 USD per night. The owner has since raised it to $120 USD, which still is a bargain.

Now that I am back and have had all my receipts totalled up.. It appears that for my 6nite, 7day vacation to Rio. I spent (not including airfare and/or hotel), right around $1200 USD.. That includes 8 programmas, sauna entrance, all food and beverages, having my laundry done for me so I wouldnt have to when I got home,...all out of pocket expenses. The trip could have been done for less if I on a tighter budget. Hopefully that will give you guys a little basis for comparison. Airfare will of course vary greatly depending on your origen, the airline, if you use miles, etc.. and hotels can vary greatly. I was lucky to find the two bedroom apartment right around the corner from the Copacabana Palace hotel for $100 USD per night. The owner has since raised it to $120 USD, which still is a bargain.

Lurker

Since you have expressed interest in Thailand. As a comparison you could have a Luxury 1 bedroom for about what you paid for sharing the 2 bedroom which was ok IMHO but definitely not luxury,

8 sessions a combination of massages with Sex and just sessions with sex from the bars and I figure you would spend about $700 with food and drinks and for the same $1200 would be able to have a lot more Sex and again IMHO would have found a lot more boys to your liking.

A few more current prices from Rio..

One way subway ride, 3.10R ($1.90 UD)--to the best of my knowledge, no weekly or longer pass is available, just single ride fares

Taxi to/from airport to Copacabana, depending on traffic, etc, approx 50R ($30.77 USD)

Special at my favorite Baby Chicken restaurant--1/2 baby chicken, with fries, farofa, and salad, 10.95R ($6.74 USD), or whole baby chicken with no side, 14R ($8.61 USD)

but a side of fries at the same restaurant, 10R ($6.15 USD)

Special at my favorite Baby Chicken restaurant--1/2 baby chicken, with fries, farofa, and salad, 10.95R ($6.74 USD), or whole baby chicken with no side, 14R ($8.61 USD)

Curious, is Baby Chicken same as someone saying Baby Mama?