Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Lazaro Cardenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas: $1,141 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Lazaro Cardenas
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Lazaro Cardenas Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Lazaro Cardenas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Lazaro Cardenas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,141 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Lazaro Cardenas $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,839 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Lazaro Cardenas $1,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,537 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Lazaro Cardenas $2,537

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 12% more expensive than in Lazaro Cardenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$46.86

$10.83 MX$203

-13.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$200

$43.66 MX$817

-8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$41.68

$8.70 MX$163

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.45

$3.61 MX$67.6

-36.57%

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

$1.59 R$7.93

$1.42 MX$26.59

11.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.03

$1.03 MX$19.24

-1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.69

$2.51 MX$46.92

-14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.28

$3.99 MX$74.7

-8.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.63

$1.66 MX$31.06

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.45

$2.53 MX$47.41

-17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.27

$1.67 MX$31.19

-25.15%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.23

$2.43 MX$45.51

-7.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$54.5

$8.19 MX$153

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$21.79

$8.49 MX$159

-48.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$47.96

$11.33 MX$212

-15.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.26

$2.67 MX$49.98

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$1.59 MX$29.74

13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.91

$1.90 MX$35.65

-16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.15

$1.83 MX$34.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.01

$1.93 MX$36.05

-37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.80 MX$33.61

-41.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.76

$1.48 MX$27.75

-49.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.40

$1.08 MX$20.23

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.68

$4.32 MX$80.8

-31.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$39.85

$10.32 MX$193

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.89

$1.76 MX$32.88

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.09

$3.20 MX$59.8

-24.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.71

$0.69 MX$12.92

36.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$251

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.01

$2.53 MX$47.26

-52.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.14

$1.92 MX$35.92

-56.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$44.83

$11.01 MX$206

-18.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.44

$1.48 MX$27.62

-12.84%

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

$22.8K R$113.8K

$21.1K MX$395.7K

7.73%

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

$34.0K R$169.7K

$23.8K MX$445.7K

42.61%

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

$134 R$671

$58.7 MX$1,099

128.75%

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

$10.73 R$53.6

$22.31 MX$417

-51.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$114

$29.94 MX$560

-23.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$151

$34.30 MX$642

-12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$157

$20.49 MX$384

53.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$38.60

$5.11 MX$95.7

51.27%

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

$584 R$2,917

$221 MX$4,141

163.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.0K

$4,553 MX$85.2K

181.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$205

$55.3 MX$1,035

-25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$246

$39.96 MX$748

23.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$368

$99.7 MX$1,867

-26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$329

$90.1 MX$1,687

-26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,495

$602 MX$11.3K

49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,634

$393 MX$7,352

34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,657

$1,055 MX$19.8K

26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,736

$780 MX$14.6K

-4.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$19.9K

$1,921 MX$36.0K

107.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,794

$1,169 MX$21.9K

33.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,200

$552 MX$10.3K

16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.3

5.58%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Lazaro Cardenas

$393 34.4% 25.5% $134

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Lazaro Cardenas

$263 23.1% 23.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Lazaro Cardenas

$111 9.7% 33.9% $57

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$186 16.3% 19.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Lazaro Cardenas

$128 11.3% 24% $25

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Lazaro Cardenas

$15 * 1.3% 75% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Lazaro Cardenas

$45 3.9% 2.4% $1.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Rio de Janeiro vs $44 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $263 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Lazaro Cardenas

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

04:53 4:53 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

83,637

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.61 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Lazaro Cardenas 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Lazaro Cardenas

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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $221 in Lazaro Cardenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40 versus $44 in Lazaro Cardenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Lazaro Cardenas is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lazaro Cardenas wins on affordability, Rio de Janeiro on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.