Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Rio do Sul Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Rio do Sul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $798 in Rio do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,233 in Rio do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Rio do Sul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 111% more expensive than in Rio do Sul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Rio do Sul is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$4.70 R$24.40

151.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$20.96 R$109

148.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$7.68 R$39.86

41.54%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$2.04 R$10.58

97.55%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.16 R$6.05

47.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.86 R$4.48

55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.76 R$14.35

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$4.32 R$22.46

32.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$0.98 R$5.09

92.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.74 R$9.06

82.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$1.21 R$6.26

69.42%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$1.51 R$7.82

99.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$7.66 R$39.77

64.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$3.76 R$19.53

164.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$6.64 R$34.48

140.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$1.58 R$8.19

107.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$0.98 R$5.10

110.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$0.76 R$3.93

175.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$1.15 R$5.98

117.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$0.77 R$4.01

166.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$0.67 R$3.48

179.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$0.72 R$3.72

118.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.75 R$3.90

85.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$2.80 R$14.54

92.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$3.93 R$20.38

356.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.37 R$7.11

47.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.69 R$13.97

76.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$1.00 R$5.20

-64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$41.95 R$218

-50.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$1.21 R$6.30

70.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.73 R$3.80

-23.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$5.76 R$29.92

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.12 R$5.82

37.50%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$23.2K R$120.5K

-3.23%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$31.3K R$162.6K

-15.42%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$61.6 R$320

7.11%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$9.63 R$50.0

221.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$19.77 R$103

83.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$25.22 R$131

128.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$27.26 R$142

-1.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$4.89 R$25.42

45.81%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$299 R$1,552

52.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$10.8K R$56.0K

22.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$48.96 R$254

54.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$50.5 R$262

7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$76.7 R$398

51.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$48.58 R$252

150.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$348 R$1,805

230.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$234 R$1,214

210.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$646 R$3,356

287.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$446 R$2,314

198.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$1,610 R$8,363

141.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$1,151 R$5,977

86.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.54

-1.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Rio do Sul: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $348 in Rio do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Rio do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $158 per month, with Rio do Sul cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Rio do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rio do Sul differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $798 including rent). Rio do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,523 in Mexico City and $1,197 in Rio do Sul 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $348 in Rio do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio do Sul runs roughly 102% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $299 in Rio do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $798 in Rio do Sul versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rio do Sul but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rio do Sul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Rio do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.