Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pachuca and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Pachuca: $886 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pachuca
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Pachuca Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Pachuca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$886

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $886 in Pachuca versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Pachuca $886
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,483 in Pachuca versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Pachuca $1,483
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,079 in Pachuca versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Pachuca $2,079
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Pachuca costs roughly 31% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pachuca 34% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MX$88.8

$10.06 R$51.0

-52.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.48 MX$489

$40.44 R$205

-34.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$148

$8.55 R$43.35

-6.08%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MX$57.0

$2.38 R$12.04

29.83%

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

$1.16 MX$21.50

$1.61 R$8.18

-27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.16

$1.03 R$5.22

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 MX$29.79

$2.47 R$12.54

-34.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$62.2

$3.70 R$18.77

-9.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.20

$1.19 R$6.05

32.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$46.99

$2.05 R$10.38

23.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$34.93

$1.28 R$6.49

47.66%

Eggs

$2.72 MX$50.4

$2.29 R$11.60

18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 MX$133

$10.76 R$54.5

-32.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 MX$87.5

$4.41 R$22.36

7.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 MX$138

$9.84 R$49.86

-24.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.53

$2.81 R$14.25

-25.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MX$23.82

$1.78 R$9.03

-27.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.10

$1.60 R$8.13

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.91

$1.80 R$9.11

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 MX$28.33

$1.22 R$6.17

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MX$24.70

$1.04 R$5.26

28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MX$17.14

$0.77 R$3.92

20.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$17.46

$0.67 R$3.38

40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$80.0

$3.01 R$15.27

43.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 MX$151

$8.08 R$40.94

1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.71

$1.19 R$6.03

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$46.08

$2.51 R$12.73

-0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.52

$0.99 R$5.00

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.85 MX$496

$50.1 R$254

-46.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$48.55

$1.22 R$6.20

115.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MX$48.34

$0.92 R$4.66

184.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 MX$205

$8.97 R$45.45

23.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$25.51

$1.30 R$6.57

6.15%

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

$21.4K MX$395.5K

$23.9K R$121.0K

-10.36%

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

$23.5K MX$433.6K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-28.60%

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

$47.05 MX$869

$133 R$676

-64.73%

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

$19.21 MX$355

$10.82 R$54.8

77.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 MX$415

$22.90 R$116

-1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.51 MX$434

$30.79 R$156

-23.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 MX$203

$31.85 R$161

-65.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 MX$79.4

$8.05 R$40.83

-46.58%

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

$165 MX$3,049

$598 R$3,029

-72.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,599 MX$48.0K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-80.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MX$983

$42.04 R$213

26.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 MX$745

$49.68 R$252

-18.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 MX$1,751

$74.5 R$378

27.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 MX$1,430

$68.7 R$348

12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,386

$903 R$4,578

-55.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MX$4,963

$529 R$2,684

-49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 MX$11.1K

$1,326 R$6,724

-54.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 MX$12.7K

$756 R$3,831

-9.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$728 MX$13.5K

$4,010 R$20.3K

-81.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 MX$11.8K

$1,560 R$7,910

-59.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MX$12.2K

$640 R$3,242

3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

11.93

-9.47%

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

Last update for Pachuca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pachuca

$269 30.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 97.1% $261

Groceries & Markets

Pachuca

$210 23.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 2% $4.3

Eating Out

Pachuca

$122 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 34.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Pachuca

$120 13.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 11.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pachuca

$89 10%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 88.4% $78

Getting Around

Pachuca

$45 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 33.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Pachuca

$32 3.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 46.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Pachuca and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pachuca pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Pachuca vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $215 per month, with Pachuca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Pachuca

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

3 h ahead of Pachuca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,848

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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Pachuca
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

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

Pachuca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Pachuca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $400 in Pachuca versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Pachuca versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $886 in Pachuca versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pachuca 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, Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.