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 $946 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $829 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,369 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,030 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,909 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 14% 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 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.35

$4.94 MRU 198

47.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$187

$25.33 MRU 1,013

43.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$33.04

$6.49 MRU 259

-0.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MRU 80.1

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 MRU 104

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.72

$2.38 MRU 95.3

-20.17%

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

$1.29 R$6.59

$1.79 MRU 71.7

-27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.44

$2.15 MRU 85.9

-59.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.75

$1.45 MRU 58.1

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.72

$0.29 MRU 11.63

486.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.62

$1.26 MRU 50.4

18.25%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.96

$2.29 MRU 91.6

-14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.81

$8.13 MRU 325

-4.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.26

$5.48 MRU 219

-34.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$40.28

$6.96 MRU 278

13.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.43

$2.19 MRU 87.5

10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.35

$1.88 MRU 75.3

-13.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.50

$1.41 MRU 56.3

4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.92

$1.02 MRU 40.74

51.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.31

$0.76 MRU 30.37

61.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.70

$0.91 MRU 36.25

21.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.52

$0.53 MRU 21.13

30.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.09

$0.65 MRU 25.94

-7.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.04 MRU 402

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 MRU 102

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 MRU 71.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$10.07

$2.47 MRU 99.0

-20.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.34

$0.49 MRU 19.63

153.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$199

$17.39 MRU 695

123.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.75

$0.89 MRU 35.64

25.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.33

$0.26 MRU 10.49

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.88

$5.53 MRU 221

33.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.41

$1.45 MRU 57.9

-26.90%

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

$20.3K R$103.7K

$7,496 MRU 299.8K

170.37%

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

$28.1K R$143.7K

$9,065 MRU 362.5K

209.83%

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

$101 R$518

$144 MRU 5,764

-29.81%

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

$12.30 R$62.9

$24.98 MRU 999

-50.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.9

$59.8 MRU 2,392

-68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$133

$87.5 MRU 3,498

-70.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$124

$251 MRU 10.0K

-90.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.36

$4.52 MRU 181

44.25%

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

$539 R$2,760

$79.4 MRU 3,177

578.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.7K

$5,983 MRU 239.3K

95.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$230

$20.22 MRU 809

122.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$212

$21.11 MRU 844

96.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$390

$68.5 MRU 2,740

11.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$315

$36.33 MRU 1,453

69.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,221

$231 MRU 9,243

87.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,660

$164 MRU 6,570

97.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,330

$644 MRU 25.7K

31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,903

$315 MRU 12.6K

79.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$19.0K

$6,450 MRU 257.9K

-42.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,580

$3,038 MRU 121.5K

-51.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,068

$559 MRU 22.4K

7.17%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $231 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 7% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $25.00 in Nouakchott. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $151 – 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 14% 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 $1,419 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,244 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 $946 in Rio de Janeiro and $829 in Nouakchott. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 124% less in Nouakchott. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nouakchott, where all-in costs run around $829, than in Rio de Janeiro at $946. In Nouakchott it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nouakchott costs $829 versus $946 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.