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 $953 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $852 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,460 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,363 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,967 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,875 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 12% 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 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 R$35.08

$5.09 MRU 204

38.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.78 R$179

$25.34 MRU 1,016

41.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 R$31.16

$6.23 MRU 250

0.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MRU 80.1

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MRU 99.1

Cappuccino

$1.99 R$9.93

$2.49 MRU 100

-20.08%

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

$1.34 R$6.67

$1.82 MRU 73.0

-26.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.19

$2.13 MRU 85.5

-60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$8.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R$13.31

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.56

$1.45 MRU 58.0

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 R$8.84

$0.27 MRU 10.75

555.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.42

$1.22 MRU 48.95

22.13%

Eggs

$1.93 R$9.62

$2.22 MRU 88.9

-13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 R$40.47

$8.17 MRU 328

-0.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 R$17.71

$5.63 MRU 226

-36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.25 R$41.17

$7.02 MRU 281

17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 R$11.58

$2.17 MRU 87.2

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.13

$1.87 MRU 75.2

-12.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.19

$1.47 MRU 58.9

-2.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.73

$0.97 MRU 38.93

59.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.15

$0.79 MRU 31.88

55.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.76

$0.90 MRU 35.99

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.52 MRU 20.75

32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.87

$0.64 MRU 25.68

-9.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.14 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MRU 106

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MRU 71.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 R$9.93

$2.46 MRU 98.7

-19.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 R$40.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R$6.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R$10.14

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.13

$0.52 MRU 20.99

136.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 R$197

$17.43 MRU 699

126.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.33

$0.87 MRU 34.81

22.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.46

$0.24 MRU 9.60

187.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 R$37.60

$5.47 MRU 219

37.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.50

$1.46 MRU 58.6

-24.66%

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

$20.2K R$100.6K

$7,474 MRU 299.8K

169.63%

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

$27.2K R$135.7K

$9,311 MRU 373.5K

192.13%

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

$104 R$519

$145 MRU 5,819

-28.25%

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

$11.99 R$59.8

$25.29 MRU 1,014

-52.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.48 R$92.2

$60.6 MRU 2,432

-69.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.17 R$131

$86.9 MRU 3,487

-69.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.31 R$121

$252 MRU 10.1K

-90.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.07

$4.48 MRU 180

43.53%

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

$553 R$2,761

$80.1 MRU 3,213

590.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K R$57.3K

$5,865 MRU 235.2K

95.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.53 R$222

$20.76 MRU 833

114.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 R$209

$20.49 MRU 822

104.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$382

$70.8 MRU 2,838

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 R$305

$35.37 MRU 1,419

72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 R$2,143

$229 MRU 9,184

87.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,618

$165 MRU 6,632

96.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 R$4,165

$626 MRU 25.1K

33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$2,894

$317 MRU 12.7K

83.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,964 R$14.8K

$6,582 MRU 264.0K

-54.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,333 R$6,650

$1,605 MRU 64.4K

-16.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 R$2,671

$558 MRU 22.4K

-4.12%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 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 4% 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: $186 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 12% 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 $1,429 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,278 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 $953 in Rio de Janeiro and $852 in Nouakchott. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 127% 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 $953 in Rio de Janeiro and $852 in Nouakchott, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nouakchott costs $852 versus $953 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.