Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,185 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 12% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.76

$10.59 MX$199

-22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$52.0 MX$978

-28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.28

$10.73 MX$202

-29.92%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.55

$3.80 MX$71.4

-44.74%

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

$1.36 R$7.47

$1.61 MX$30.35

-15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.27

$1.21 MX$22.81

-20.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.84

$3.18 MX$59.8

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.89

$5.44 MX$102

-40.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.96

$1.72 MX$32.32

-36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.24

$2.97 MX$55.8

-37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.17

$1.93 MX$36.24

-41.97%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.09

$2.77 MX$52.2

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.4

$11.67 MX$220

-15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.56

$9.48 MX$178

-56.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.7

$15.37 MX$289

-39.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.22

$3.10 MX$58.4

-16.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.26

$1.96 MX$36.90

-13.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.06

$1.98 MX$37.30

-25.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.42

$2.34 MX$43.95

-26.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.34

$2.02 MX$38.08

-42.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.48

$1.82 MX$34.34

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.60

$1.54 MX$29.06

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.34

$1.31 MX$24.70

-53.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.77

$5.35 MX$101

-49.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.53

$16.19 MX$305

-55.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.89

$1.96 MX$36.87

-45.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.29

$4.35 MX$81.9

-48.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$0.30 MX$5.74

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$287

$19.49 MX$367

168.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$1.92 MX$36.08

-38.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$0.47 MX$8.90

44.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.80

$5.41 MX$102

61.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.48 MX$27.92

-18.92%

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

$21.9K R$120.0K

$21.4K MX$402.2K

2.33%

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

$31.0K R$170.2K

$23.8K MX$447.1K

30.54%

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

$126 R$689

$62.0 MX$1,167

102.65%

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

$10.14 R$55.6

$28.47 MX$536

-64.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$34.11 MX$642

-38.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$58.4 MX$1,099

-51.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$24.50 MX$461

17.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.63

$6.59 MX$124

12.29%

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

$537 R$2,947

$434 MX$8,172

23.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.2K

$14.0K MX$264.1K

13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$212

$68.4 MX$1,286

-43.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$247

$54.8 MX$1,031

-17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$376

$111 MX$2,086

-38.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$116 MX$2,183

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,213

$1,179 MX$22.2K

-34.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,693

$771 MX$14.5K

-36.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,004

$2,570 MX$48.4K

-43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,077

$1,420 MX$26.7K

-47.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

$3,586 MX$67.5K

-7.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,518

$2,064 MX$38.8K

-24.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,698

$1,003 MX$18.9K

-32.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.35

5.11%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 57.1% $280

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 63.4% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 20.5% $32

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Mexico City

$201 12% 44.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 61.7% $60

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 58.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 65.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $324 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

04:28 4:28 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Mexico City 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Rio de Janeiro is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Rio de Janeiro. 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: $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 63% less than in Rio de Janeiro. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Rio de Janeiro versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Rio de Janeiro gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value at $1,185 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

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