Grocery Stores in Rio.

Zona Sul: by far the most expensive, but also has too many locations and too convenient hours. It's the only grocery store you'll find in Ipanema.

Horti Fruti: Of all the grocery stores, I like this one the best because of its wide selection of fruits and vegetables. It also always has a section with fruit juices, and a scale for weighing yourself. I know, strange, but convenient.

Pao de Acucar: Seems similar to Zona Sul, but at times more pricey. The store has a better layout though.

Mundial: By far the cheapest, although the one in Copacabana is a nightmare to go through. I suggest that you get to the one in Botafogo, and buy all of your dry goods here-- I don't know if I would attempt the fresh foods and perishables. Although milk is pretty cheap here.

My routine is to buy fruits and veggies from the farmers markets, and then supplement with things from the grocery store. Casa de Pedro-- there are MANY locations in Copacabana-- has cheap arab bread, flour, rice, nuts... things that you need in bulk, I would go there. For good jam and such, try the organic farmers markets, or just go to Mundial.

Stay away from stores like Mundo Verde, which are too expensive and sell nothing special over the others.

Bread is quite expensive in Rio, so if you can make it that's great! For the rest of us, I actually find that buying a baguette (at Garcia and Rodrigues) or the Pao Frances is cheaper than buying a loaf. I also survive off the flatbreads.

Water is also incredibly expensive, so if you can buy a water bottle before you come to Rio, and find filtered places to fill up, it's probably your cheapest option.