Rent Apartments & Rooms in Rio de Janeiro
The second largest city in Brazil and home to the 2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro is a popular holiday destination for its vibrant carnival atmosphere. Tourists flock to Rio around Easter time for the famous Carnival of Brazil, when a large celebration takes place. The beaches of Brazil are also a big draw for tourism, particularly the Copacabana well known from the Barry Manilow song.
It’s not just popular among tourists, though, Rio is also a great spot for students and expats looking to relocate to South America. It is the second largest economy of Brazil, so has plenty of industry opportunities for expats looking for work abroad. Rio de Janeiro apartments range from luxury villas to small rooms to rent within shared houses. This means you’ll be sure to find apartments for rent in Rio de Janeiro that will suit your budget.
Furnished apartments in Rio de Janeiro are ideal for students and expats as they eliminate the need to carry over hordes of belongings with you or buy furniture once you get to Rio. So, you’ll be able to rent a flat in Rio de Janeiro with as much ease as possible with this option.
Serviced apartments in Rio de Janeiro
Serviced apartments in Rio de Janeiro are the best option for expats moving to the city to work, especially for short stays. These types of apartments come fully furnished and often provide other amenities and facilities within the complex. This may include housekeeping services and on-site facilities such as a gym and spa in the higher end apartments. If you’re travelling for a corporate trip, then you can find serviced apartments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil using Nestpick’s search function.
Types of Accommodations in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro Apartments by District
Rio de Janeiro is generally divided into four main districts, or zones. These are:
- Centro (Central Zone)
- Zona Norte (North Zone)
- Zona Sul (South Zone)
- Zona Oeste (West Zone)
Each of these zones consists of a number of smaller neighbourhoods. The types of apartments and prices available vary from one zone to the next, but there are plenty on offer including rooms to rent, studio apartments, whole apartments, and houses for rent.
The historic centre is predictably busy, urban, and touristy, with a variety of accommodation on offer for expats and students as well as tourists visiting the city. The North Zone is more of a residential area with lots of family friendly neighbourhoods to see. The South Zone also has lots of areas that are popular among tourists, where many of the city’s beaches lie. This zone is generally more affluent than the others.
More Attractive Areas for Rio de Janeiro Apartments
Apartments in the city centre
The city centre is a largely commercial hub at the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Its sweeping skyline is characterised by lots of skyscrapers and other impressive buildings, both old and new. The centre hosts lots of offices for some of Brazil’s major companies, as well as smaller corporations, so it draws in a lot of expats coming to Brazil for work.
Among the skyscrapers and office blocks are scattered a few small residential areas made up of attractive, modern apartments. These apartments in the city centre are particularly popular for people working in the city so that they don’t have to spend time commuting to work each day from neighbourhoods outside of the city centre.
This historical centre is also home to a number of landmarks that attract tourists as some of the main sights in urban Rio de Janeiro. There’s the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, for example, and Candelária Church. Tourism also brings additional jobs to the historical centre with attractions like the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Historical Museum drawing in regular crowds.
If Rio’s historical and commercial centre sounds like the place for you, then browse through the available apartments in this district through Nestpick.
Apartments in Ipanema Rio de Janeiro
If you’re heading to Rio for sun, sea, and sand, then you’ve got plenty of options before you. One of the most well-known beaches in Rio, and the neighbourhood that contains that beach, is Ipanema. Located on the South coast of Rio de Janeiro, next to Copacabana, is so much more than just its beach.
It is a truly cosmopolitan area with lots of modern bars, cafés, restaurants, and shopping centres. It also has a number of popular attractions other than its famous beach, which is a major surf spot. There’s lots to enjoy outdoors in the sun with Ipanema’s botanical garden and several parks. There are also a number of cultural and historical sites, such as the Museum of Favela, exploring the history of Brazil’s slum neighbourhoods and celebrating artwork of the city.
Apartments in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro reflect the affluence of this area, so there are lots of modern apartment blocks in this fabulous location providing luxury for expats moving to Rio. You can find lower priced apartments for rent in Ipanema, though. The best strategy if you’re on a budget is to look at renting a room within shared accommodation rather a whole apartment.
Apartments for rent Copacabana Rio de Janeiro
The other famous beach of Rio de Janeiro is the Copacabana. This beach spanning around 4km is another hot surf spot like its neighbour, Ipanema beach, and hosted some of the Olympic events at the Rio 2016 games. Tourists and locals flock to the Copacabana beach throughout the year, but even more so on New Year’s Eve when a major firework display is held from a boat off the coast.
Copacabana is another of Rio de Janeiro’s more affluent areas and is home to approximately 160,000 people. Apartments in Copacabana are typically found within multi-storey apartment buildings, of which there are many nestled close to each other. This means that there are lots of apartments for rent in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, so you should be able to find accommodation easily despite how popular the area is. Houses are uncommon in these areas.
Like Ipanema, Copacabana is a vibrant area with a range of retailers and eateries to choose from, plus lots of green parks to enjoy once you’ve had enough of the beach. Prices in Copacabana can range from a few hundred euros a month for modest rooms to rent, to a couple of thousand for more upscale one or two-bedroom apartments.
Apartments in Botafogo
To the North of Copacabana, and with its beach on the East coast of the city, is the neighbourhood of Botafogo. The beach in this neighbourhood is not as popular as those of Ipanema and Copacabana due to its location within Guanabara Bay, meaning it doesn’t have the crystal clear seas of the other two.
Expats looking to live in the area can use this to their advantage, because fewer tourists attracted to the area means lower rent prices and cost of living compared to more popular neighbourhoods nearby. You’ll also benefit from having more space on the beach when you go down to soak up the sun. If you still want to experience the luxury of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, then they’re still close by and you can easily get there on the metro.
The area has lots of choice for things to see and do, places to eat and drink, and places to stay. Apartments in Botafogo are similarly made up of tall apartment buildings, for the most part, but at slightly more affordable prices than Copacabana. These apartments offer amazing views of the city and of Sugarloaf Mountain.
Student housing Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is home to various educational institutions, including the second most prestigious university in Brazil, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The main campus of this university is Cidade Universitária on Ilha do Fundão. This island contains some student accommodation for those attending the university, with more student housing spread out around the city. Much of the student accommodation in Rio de Janeiro is located to the South of the city where another of the University’s campuses is located.
Student housing in Rio de Janeiro is available to search through Nestpick. You’ll find lots of different sized accommodation at a range of affordable prices to suit your budget.
Public transport in Rio de Janeiro
When it comes to driving in Brazil, residents do not have the same relaxed nature that is associated with their lifestyle. Adding this to the busy roads that are common across Rio de Janeiro, public transport in Rio de Janeiro is a popular choice. The metro is the cheapest and safest way to get around the city, with lines covering a good amount of the city. There are also fairly extensive bus lines around Rio de Janeiro, but bus journeys tend to be more expensive than the metro. Buses also become very crowded and are prime targets for pickpockets. Travelling via the metro you get the advantage of air conditioned carriages, which you’ll be thankful for in the hot weather.