Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mesquite, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,352 in Mesquite, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Mesquite, TX
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Mesquite, TX Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Mesquite, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,352

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mesquite, TX 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 Mesquite, TX and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,352 per month in Mesquite, TX vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Mesquite, TX $2,352
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,583 per month in Mesquite, TX vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Mesquite, TX $3,583
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $4,814 per month in Mesquite, TX vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Mesquite, TX $4,814
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Mesquite, TX costs about 85% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mesquite, TX sits 74% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.92 $17.92

$9.38 R$47.54

91.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 $70.6

$40.00 R$203

76.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$8.34 R$42.28

29.38%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$2.29 R$11.62

134.93%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.59 R$8.05

58.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.01 R$5.10

68.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 $6.63

$2.14 R$10.85

209.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$3.66 R$18.55

115.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.13 R$5.72

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.09 R$10.60

71.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.25 R$6.36

257.60%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$2.25 R$11.39

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$10.92 R$55.3

11.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 $11.73

$4.36 R$22.10

169.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$9.60 R$48.66

76.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.85 R$14.46

77.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.81 R$9.16

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.58 R$8.02

167.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.83 R$9.28

154.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.20 R$6.10

130.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.06 R$5.35

184.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.75 R$3.81

178.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.68 R$3.45

241.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$2.94 R$14.90

201.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$7.98 R$40.43

86.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.18 R$5.98

62.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.42 R$12.26

34.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.94 R$4.78

103.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.20 R$6.10

143.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.83 R$4.20

139.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.55 $25.55

$8.97 R$45.48

184.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.29 R$6.53

-20.93%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$22.8K R$115.5K

34.19%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-31.25%

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

$175 $175

$134 R$681

29.92%

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

$64.0 $64.0

$10.73 R$54.4

496.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 $67.2

$22.84 R$116

194.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 $47.72

$30.16 R$153

58.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 $12.47

$7.73 R$39.17

61.32%

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

$1,401 $1,401

$584 R$2,960

139.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.8K R$64.9K

67.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.78 $45.78

$41.12 R$208

11.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.02 $41.02

$49.26 R$250

-16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$73.7 R$373

18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$65.9 R$334

58.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$900 R$4,561

86.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 $1,125

$527 R$2,673

113.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$1,332 R$6,754

101.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$748 R$3,790

180.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,089 $3,089

$3,990 R$20.2K

-22.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,126 $2,126

$1,560 R$7,908

36.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 $3,868

$640 R$3,246

503.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.93

-44.93%

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

Last update for Mesquite, TX: 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

Mesquite, TX

$1.1K 47.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 53.1% $597

Groceries & Markets

Mesquite, TX

$397 16.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 46.2% $184

Eating Out

Mesquite, TX

$306 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 49.1% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mesquite, TX

$306 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 45.1% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Mesquite, TX

$125 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 17.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mesquite, TX

$73 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 37.2% $27

Getting Around

Mesquite, TX

$21 * 0.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 190% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,678 in Mesquite, TX versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 504% higher in Mesquite, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Mesquite, TX versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mesquite, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

2 h ahead of Mesquite, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,108

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mesquite, TX Rio de Janeiro 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mesquite, TX
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

Mesquite, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mesquite, TX is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,528 per month in Mesquite, TX and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Mesquite, TX and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% more in Mesquite, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Mesquite, TX at $2,352. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mesquite, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mesquite, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.