Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Mixco

For one person, living is cheaper in Mixco: $818 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,289
/mo nomad
Mixco
🇬🇹 Guatemala
$818
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $818 in Mixco, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,289
  • Mixco $818

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,356 in Mixco, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,868
  • Mixco $1,356

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,895 in Mixco, rent included.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,448
  • Mixco $1,895

Rio de Janeiro costs about 58% more than Mixco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Mixco are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Mixco 39% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.06 R$51.3
$8.90 Q 68.0
13.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.44 R$206
$51.8 Q 396
-21.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 R$43.59
$8.72 Q 66.6
-1.95%
Cappuccino
$2.38 R$12.11
$3.98 Q 30.41
-40.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 R$8.22
$2.13 Q 16.27
-24.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 R$5.25
$1.45 Q 11.08
-28.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.47 R$12.61
$3.87 Q 29.57
-36.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 R$18.88
$5.83 Q 44.57
-36.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 R$6.09
$2.09 Q 15.94
-43.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 R$10.44
$3.76 Q 28.72
-45.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 R$6.53
$1.93 Q 14.78
-33.68%
Eggs
$2.29 R$11.66
$2.41 Q 18.41
-4.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 R$54.8
$5.39 Q 41.21
99.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.41 R$22.49
$13.80 Q 105
-68.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.84 R$50.2
$10.38 Q 79.3
-5.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 R$14.33
$5.02 Q 38.39
-44.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 R$9.08
$2.25 Q 17.19
-20.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$8.18
$5.23 Q 39.94
-69.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.16
$1.57 Q 12.00
14.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.20
$1.87 Q 14.29
-34.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 R$5.29
$1.73 Q 13.20
-39.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 R$3.94
$1.28 Q 9.78
-39.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 R$3.40
$1.37 Q 10.49
-51.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.01 R$15.36
$4.01 Q 30.64
-24.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.08 R$41.18
$7.66 Q 58.5
5.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$6.06
$2.91 Q 22.21
-59.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 R$12.80
$3.76 Q 28.75
-33.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 R$5.03
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.1 R$255
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 R$6.23
$4.62 Q 35.27
-73.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 R$4.69
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.97 R$45.71
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.61
$1.26 Q 9.64
3.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K R$121.7K
$22.7K Q 173.7K
5.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K R$167.5K
$21.7K Q 165.8K
51.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 R$680
$58.2 Q 445
129.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.82 R$55.2
$37.89 Q 290
-71.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.90 R$117
$62.4 Q 477
-63.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.79 R$157
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.85 R$162
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 R$41.06
$7.98 Q 61.0
0.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$598 R$3,046
$541 Q 4,130
10.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K R$68.4K
$13.8K Q 105.5K
-2.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.04 R$214
$44.23 Q 338
-4.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.68 R$253
$54.3 Q 415
-8.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 R$380
$90.4 Q 691
-17.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.7 R$350
$78.8 Q 602
-12.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$903 R$4,604
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$529 R$2,699
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,326 R$6,762
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$756 R$3,853
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,010 R$20.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,560 R$7,954
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Mixco
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$640 R$3,260
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
0
-

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 Mixco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$529
Mixco
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$215
Mixco
$328 52.6% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$167
Mixco
$159 5.2% $8.6
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$165
Mixco
$190 15.4% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$106
Mixco
$121 14% $15
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Mixco
$4.6 * 92.3% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$47
Mixco
$16 * 66% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $52.0 in Mixco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $328 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇬🇹 Mixco
🕒 Local time
13:00 1:00 PM
10:00 10:00 AM
3 h behind Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
688,124
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 5.1 BRL (1 BRL = 0.196 USD). 1 EUR = 5.72 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.57 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Mixco 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Mixco

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 Mixco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mixco cheaper than Rio de Janeiro?
Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,226 in Mixco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Rio de Janeiro and in Mixco?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $818 in Mixco. That's a gap of about 58%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $541 in Mixco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Rio de Janeiro or in Mixco?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mixco, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Mixco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Mixco more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mixco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mixco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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