Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Nouakchott Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Nouakchott

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $952 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $826 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,490 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,378 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,029 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,929 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 15% more than Nouakchott, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Nouakchott are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Nouakchott 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 R$37.12

$5.18 MRU 206

41.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.43 R$184

$25.20 MRU 1,004

44.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.74

$6.37 MRU 254

-1.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 MRU 79.3

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 MRU 98.7

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.00

$2.42 MRU 96.6

-18.18%

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

$1.27 R$6.42

$1.73 MRU 69.1

-26.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$2.12 MRU 84.7

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$14.04

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$1.44 MRU 57.5

-22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.65

$0.27 MRU 10.76

533.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.21 MRU 48.07

22.31%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$2.27 MRU 90.5

-11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 R$39.35

$7.93 MRU 316

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.35

$5.39 MRU 215

-32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 R$40.88

$6.96 MRU 278

15.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.67

$2.17 MRU 86.5

6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.97

$1.83 MRU 72.8

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.41 MRU 56.4

3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.67

$0.96 MRU 38.18

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.38

$0.79 MRU 31.52

59.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$0.90 MRU 36.02

28.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.52 MRU 20.87

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.65 MRU 25.86

-12.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.87 MRU 393

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 MRU 103

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MRU 70.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$2.56 MRU 102

-23.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 R$43.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.31

$0.49 MRU 19.38

155.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 R$198

$17.99 MRU 717

117.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.67

$0.87 MRU 34.54

28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.37

$0.24 MRU 9.49

179.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 R$37.61

$5.74 MRU 229

29.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.66

$1.39 MRU 55.5

-19.42%

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

$20.5K R$103.6K

$7,562 MRU 301.4K

170.69%

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

$27.1K R$137.0K

$9,340 MRU 372.3K

189.68%

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

$103 R$519

$148 MRU 5,917

-30.91%

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

$12.09 R$61.2

$24.96 MRU 995

-51.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 R$97.1

$61.2 MRU 2,438

-68.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 R$133

$89.3 MRU 3,559

-70.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 R$120

$257 MRU 10.3K

-90.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 R$32.71

$4.44 MRU 177

45.50%

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

$537 R$2,716

$82.2 MRU 3,275

553.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.1K

$5,855 MRU 233.4K

99.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 R$229

$20.39 MRU 813

121.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 R$208

$21.25 MRU 847

93.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$383

$69.6 MRU 2,774

8.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 R$303

$35.64 MRU 1,421

68.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 R$2,225

$229 MRU 9,133

91.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 R$1,645

$161 MRU 6,424

101.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 R$4,341

$630 MRU 25.1K

36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,917

$320 MRU 12.8K

80.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,415 R$17.3K

$6,616 MRU 263.7K

-48.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 R$7,437

$3,001 MRU 119.6K

-51.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 R$2,714

$569 MRU 22.7K

-5.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

16.5

-31.33%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Rio de Janeiro versus $229 in Nouakchott. 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 6% higher in Nouakchott, 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 $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $25.00 in Nouakchott. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $149 – making Nouakchott the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nouakchott: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 15% more than Nouakchott, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,427 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,240 in Nouakchott. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nouakchott, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $952 in Rio de Janeiro and $826 in Nouakchott. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 118% less in Nouakchott. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $952 in Rio de Janeiro and $826 in Nouakchott, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nouakchott costs $826 versus $952 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nouakchott. 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.