Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cuernavaca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
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Cuernavaca Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cuernavaca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,011 in Cuernavaca.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Cuernavaca $1,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,692 in Cuernavaca.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Cuernavaca $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,373 in Cuernavaca.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Cuernavaca $2,373

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 28% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Cuernavaca 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$8.05 MX$149

24.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$38.27 MX$707

5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$7.24 MX$134

18.09%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.43 MX$44.98

-2.06%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.27 MX$23.43

26.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.63 MX$11.60

63.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.50 MX$46.29

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.26 MX$60.3

13.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.70 MX$31.33

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.21 MX$40.92

-7.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.44 MX$26.52

-11.11%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$1.92 MX$35.49

19.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$8.08 MX$149

33.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$4.89 MX$90.4

-9.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$13.78 MX$255

-28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$2.23 MX$41.24

26.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.35 MX$25.02

31.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$2.17 MX$40.07

-26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.67 MX$30.92

7.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.71 MX$31.62

-28.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.74 MX$32.06

-40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.53 MX$28.25

-49.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.91 MX$16.78

-26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$4.39 MX$81.2

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$8.15 MX$151

-0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.22 MX$22.55

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.32 MX$61.4

-24.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.57 MX$10.51

73.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$27.69 MX$512

80.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.90 MX$35.20

-35.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$2.63 MX$48.52

-65.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$10.93 MX$202

-17.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.42 MX$26.26

-8.45%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$21.0K MX$387.9K

13.74%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$24.1K MX$444.6K

36.58%

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

$133 R$676

$57.3 MX$1,059

132.89%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$18.78 MX$347

-42.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$25.19 MX$465

-9.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$25.75 MX$476

19.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$5.44 MX$100

47.98%

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

$598 R$3,029

$217 MX$4,018

174.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,075 MX$93.8K

164.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$41.29 MX$763

1.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$33.18 MX$613

49.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$93.0 MX$1,719

-19.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$99.1 MX$1,832

-30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$385 MX$7,110

134.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$332 MX$6,140

59.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$957 MX$17.7K

38.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$804 MX$14.9K

-6.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$870 MX$16.1K

361.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$606 MX$11.2K

157.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$649 MX$12.0K

-1.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.4

4.65%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Cuernavaca

$332 32.9% 37.2% $197

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Cuernavaca

$234 23.1% 8.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Cuernavaca

$101 10% 39.4% $66

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Cuernavaca

$142 14.1% 13.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Cuernavaca

$120 11.9% 13.5% $14

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Cuernavaca

$45 4.5% 24.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Cuernavaca

$37 3.6% 21.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $385 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $234, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

341,029

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Cuernavaca 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Cuernavaca

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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Cuernavaca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $385 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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, Rio de Janeiro and Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.