Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cuajimalpa
Learn more

Cuajimalpa Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Cuajimalpa

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuajimalpa and in Rio de Janeiro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuajimalpa and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cuajimalpa $1,141
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cuajimalpa $1,827
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cuajimalpa $2,514
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 10% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuajimalpa 16% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 MX$200

$9.38 R$47.54

15.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 MX$797

$40.00 R$203

7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 MX$154

$8.34 R$42.28

0.12%

Cappuccino

$3.60 MX$66.6

$2.29 R$11.62

57.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$25.87

$1.59 R$8.05

-11.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$19.50

$1.01 R$5.10

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 MX$46.60

$2.14 R$10.85

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$73.2

$3.66 R$18.55

8.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.16

$1.13 R$5.72

39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.81

$2.09 R$10.60

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.34

$1.25 R$6.36

36.00%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.39

$2.25 R$11.39

9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 MX$149

$10.92 R$55.3

-26.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$150

$4.36 R$22.10

85.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 MX$209

$9.60 R$48.66

17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$51.5

$2.85 R$14.46

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.83

$1.81 R$9.16

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.44

$1.58 R$8.02

17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.42

$1.83 R$9.28

-1.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.89

$1.20 R$6.10

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.21

$1.06 R$5.35

80.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.42

$0.75 R$3.81

90.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.79

$0.68 R$3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MX$82.1

$2.94 R$14.90

51.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$194

$7.98 R$40.43

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$33.13

$1.18 R$5.98

51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$58.8

$2.42 R$12.26

31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.73

$0.94 R$4.78

-26.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 MX$48.32

$1.20 R$6.10

118.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 MX$37.15

$0.83 R$4.20

142.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 MX$202

$8.97 R$45.48

21.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.64

$1.29 R$6.53

11.63%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.9K MX$386.5K

$22.8K R$115.5K

-8.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.3K MX$448.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-28.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$57.5 MX$1,063

$134 R$681

-57.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.78 MX$421

$10.73 R$54.4

112.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.83 MX$551

$22.84 R$116

30.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 MX$635

$30.16 R$153

13.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 MX$373

$31.49 R$160

-35.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 MX$98.1

$7.73 R$39.17

-31.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$223 MX$4,122

$584 R$2,960

-61.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,649 MX$85.9K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-63.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MX$1,008

$41.12 R$208

32.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 MX$760

$49.26 R$250

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,863

$73.7 R$373

36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,636

$65.9 R$334

34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 MX$11.1K

$900 R$4,561

-33.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 MX$7,290

$527 R$2,673

-25.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$18.9K

$1,332 R$6,754

-23.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$14.1K

$748 R$3,790

2.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,905 MX$35.2K

$3,990 R$20.2K

-52.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,154 MX$21.3K

$1,560 R$7,908

-26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.93

-5.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cuajimalpa

$395 34.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 33.6% $133

Groceries & Markets

Cuajimalpa

$262 23%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 18.5% $49

Eating Out

Cuajimalpa

$185 16.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 15.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cuajimalpa

$128 11.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 19.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuajimalpa

$110 9.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 52.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cuajimalpa

$45 3.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 1.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Cuajimalpa

$15 * 1.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 286% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Cuajimalpa and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

11:35 11:35 AM

3 h ahead of Cuajimalpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,686

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuajimalpa Rio de Janeiro 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuajimalpa
Rio de Janeiro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cuajimalpa vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,711 in Cuajimalpa and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Cuajimalpa versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $223 in Cuajimalpa versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuajimalpa and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.