Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,182 a month against $1,327 in Ajijic, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,327 in Ajijic, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Ajijic $1,327

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,083 in Ajijic, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Ajijic $2,083

A family of three spends $2,318 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,840 in Ajijic, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Ajijic $2,840

Rio de Janeiro is about 11% cheaper than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Ajijic are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Ajijic 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$9.36 MX$175

-2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$42.80 MX$798

-12.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$6.89 MX$128

16.40%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.71

$3.53 MX$65.9

-37.96%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$1.58 MX$29.39

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$1.16 MX$21.60

-14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$2.18 MX$40.70

-6.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$3.29 MX$61.3

4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$1.43 MX$26.63

-25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$2.18 MX$40.67

-9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$1.09 MX$20.41

7.34%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$2.25 MX$41.90

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$7.96 MX$148

27.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$8.19 MX$153

-49.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$7.07 MX$132

29.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$2.17 MX$40.47

25.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$1.30 MX$24.31

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$1.52 MX$28.42

0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.89

$1.68 MX$31.26

-1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$1.51 MX$28.05

-24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$1.39 MX$25.84

-28.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$1.02 MX$19.03

-36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$0.88 MX$16.39

-31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$4.43 MX$82.6

-37.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$8.58 MX$160

-12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$1.50 MX$27.97

-27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$1.30 MX$24.17

79.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$0.68 MX$12.60

32.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$57.9 MX$1,079

-8.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.24 MX$23.14

-5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$4.23 MX$78.8

-81.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$10.75 MX$200

-22.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$1.48 MX$27.51

-18.24%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$24.6K MX$459.4K

-12.90%

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

$31.1K R$166.5K

$23.6K MX$440.7K

31.69%

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

$124 R$665

$55.2 MX$1,030

125.31%

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

$10.03 R$53.7

$14.17 MX$264

-29.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$24.59 MX$458

-15.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$24.01 MX$448

18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$5.27 MX$98.2

456.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$4.77 MX$88.9

59.75%

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

$563 R$3,010

$211 MX$3,935

166.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$2,800 MX$52.2K

330.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$42.69 MX$796

-8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$16.24 MX$303

185.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$66.4 MX$1,238

2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$69.5 MX$1,296

-8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,150

$844 MX$15.7K

-8.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$644 MX$12.0K

-26.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,437

$1,509 MX$28.1K

-7.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$1,248 MX$23.3K

-40.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$3,324 MX$62.0K

2.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,396

$1,782 MX$33.2K

-11.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,192

$548 MX$10.2K

9.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.2

6.52%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Ajijic

$644 48.6% 36.1% $171

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Ajijic

$218 16.4% 8.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Ajijic

$94 7.1% 39.5% $61

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Ajijic

$166 12.5% 11.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Ajijic

$88 6.6% 10.4% $10

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Ajijic

$83 6.3% 34.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Ajijic

$34 2.5% 23% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $844 in Ajijic. 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 9% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $43 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $218 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

13:59 1:59 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

11,439

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Ajijic 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Ajijic

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

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

Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,990 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $776 in Rio de Janeiro and $844 in Ajijic. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro and $43 in Ajijic. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,327 in Ajijic. That makes Rio de Janeiro about 11% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,327 in Ajijic, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,182 versus $1,327 in Ajijic. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Rio de Janeiro is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 11% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.