Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Rio de Janeiro Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Rio de Janeiro

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $726 per month in Nouakchott vs $1,217 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,199 per month in Nouakchott vs $1,809 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,673 per month in Nouakchott vs $2,402 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Nouakchott is about 40% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Nouakchott and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Nouakchott 47% lower, Rio de Janeiro 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 MRU 102

$9.47 R$48.53

-72.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.12 MRU 965

$39.19 R$201

-38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 MRU 244

$8.53 R$43.74

-28.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MRU 71.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MRU 68.7

Cappuccino

$2.30 MRU 92.1

$2.32 R$11.90

-0.86%

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

$1.79 MRU 71.7

$1.59 R$8.13

12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 MRU 87.6

$1.05 R$5.36

108.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.65

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 R$16.91

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MRU 62.7

$1.11 R$5.69

41.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 MRU 10.36

$2.03 R$10.42

-87.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MRU 52.6

$1.36 R$6.95

-3.68%

Eggs

$2.24 MRU 89.8

$2.24 R$11.48

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 MRU 236

$10.42 R$53.4

-43.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 MRU 216

$4.25 R$21.81

27.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.27 MRU 291

$9.78 R$50.1

-25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MRU 115

$2.62 R$13.45

9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MRU 71.1

$1.82 R$9.31

-2.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MRU 55.0

$1.59 R$8.15

-13.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 MRU 36.03

$1.82 R$9.35

-50.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MRU 31.20

$1.28 R$6.58

-39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 MRU 34.66

$1.02 R$5.22

-14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 MRU 29.16

$0.70 R$3.58

4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MRU 23.52

$0.67 R$3.44

-11.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.17 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MRU 67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 MRU 98.4

$2.93 R$15.00

-16.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 R$43.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R$12.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MRU 18.57

$0.97 R$4.95

-52.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.87 MRU 876

$50.1 R$257

-56.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 MRU 35.69

$1.18 R$6.07

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MRU 14.13

$0.87 R$4.46

-59.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 MRU 140

$8.88 R$45.51

-60.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MRU 58.5

$1.26 R$6.44

15.87%

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

$7,435 MRU 297.6K

$23.6K R$121.2K

-68.56%

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

$8,979 MRU 359.4K

$32.9K R$168.6K

-72.70%

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

$129 MRU 5,148

$136 R$697

-5.45%

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

$22.36 MRU 895

$11.93 R$61.1

87.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 MRU 2,380

$21.66 R$111

174.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.92 MRU 1,198

$30.09 R$154

-0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$246 MRU 9,852

$29.51 R$151

734.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 MRU 162

$7.72 R$39.59

-47.67%

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

$449 MRU 18.0K

$550 R$2,819

-18.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,502 MRU 300.3K

$13.3K R$68.3K

-43.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.47 MRU 900

$40.22 R$206

-44.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.51 MRU 901

$47.82 R$245

-52.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 MRU 2,756

$72.9 R$373

-5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.81 MRU 1,674

$65.1 R$334

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 MRU 8,678

$821 R$4,207

-73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 MRU 5,989

$498 R$2,554

-69.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 MRU 29.4K

$1,285 R$6,585

-42.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 MRU 11.4K

$716 R$3,673

-60.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,369 MRU 254.9K

$3,890 R$19.9K

63.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,930 MRU 117.3K

$1,482 R$7,595

97.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$577 MRU 23.1K

$649 R$3,329

-11.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

67.64%

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

Last update for Nouakchott: September 8, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $217 in Nouakchott versus $821 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 13% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $24.00 in Nouakchott versus $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $212 – making Nouakchott the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Rio de Janeiro costs about 68% more than Nouakchott, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,089 per month in Nouakchott and $1,826 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 Nouakchott, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $726 in Nouakchott and $1,217 in Rio de Janeiro. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 129% less in Nouakchott. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nouakchott, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,217. In Nouakchott it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nouakchott costs $726 versus $1,217 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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