Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Oaxaca de Juarez

For one person, living is cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez: $1,154 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Oaxaca de Juarez
Learn more

Oaxaca de Juarez Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Oaxaca de Juarez

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Oaxaca de Juarez

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 Oaxaca de Juarez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,154 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Oaxaca de Juarez $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,781 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Oaxaca de Juarez $1,781

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,408 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Oaxaca de Juarez $2,408

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 12% more expensive than in Oaxaca de Juarez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Oaxaca de Juarez 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$6.48 MX$120

55.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$32.81 MX$606

23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$8.33 MX$154

2.64%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.82 MX$52.1

-15.60%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.51 MX$27.83

6.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.79 MX$14.59

30.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.48 MX$45.90

-0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.79 MX$70.0

-2.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.33 MX$24.59

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$3.13 MX$57.8

-34.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.12 MX$20.62

14.29%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$1.74 MX$32.21

31.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.44 MX$119

67.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$5.49 MX$101

-19.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$11.27 MX$208

-12.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$2.14 MX$39.46

31.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.23 MX$22.80

44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$1.90 MX$35.14

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.53 MX$9.81

239.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$2.01 MX$37.18

-39.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$2.00 MX$36.93

-48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.11 MX$20.58

-30.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.94 MX$17.46

-28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$4.24 MX$78.3

-29.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$9.40 MX$174

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.47 MX$27.11

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.63 MX$48.64

-4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.53 MX$9.81

86.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.89 MX$71.9

-68.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.95 MX$36.12

-52.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$10.89 MX$201

-17.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.36 MX$25.17

-4.41%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$21.4K MX$396.0K

11.42%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$24.4K MX$450.4K

34.82%

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

$133 R$676

$62.5 MX$1,155

113.37%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$11.03 MX$204

-1.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$24.19 MX$447

-5.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$44.34 MX$819

-30.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$5.58 MX$103

44.27%

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

$598 R$3,029

$422 MX$7,795

41.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$20.0K MX$369.3K

-32.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$53.5 MX$988

-21.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$61.6 MX$1,138

-19.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$102 MX$1,887

-27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$98.3 MX$1,816

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$696 MX$12.9K

29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$481 MX$8,885

10.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,208 MX$22.3K

9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$892 MX$16.5K

-15.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.96

8.85%

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 Oaxaca de Juarez: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$481 41.7% 9.2% $49

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$222 19.3% 3.5% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$98 8.5% 41.5% $69

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$140 12.1% 15.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$142 12.3% 34.3% $36

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$16 * 1.4% 73.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Oaxaca de Juarez

$56 4.8% 18.4% $8.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $696 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $33.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $222, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Oaxaca de Juarez

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

258,913

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Oaxaca de Juarez 7,320 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Oaxaca de Juarez

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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oaxaca de Juarez wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oaxaca de Juarez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,731 in Oaxaca de Juarez to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $696 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,154 in Oaxaca de Juarez – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,154 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oaxaca de Juarez delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,154 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oaxaca de Juarez hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Oaxaca de Juarez are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.