Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: $1,120 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga
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Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,120 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $1,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,802 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $1,802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,484 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $2,484

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 14% more expensive than in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$13.43 MX$248

-30.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$43.20 MX$798

-7.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$9.12 MX$168

-8.55%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$3.22 MX$59.6

-28.88%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.65 MX$30.57

-3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.15 MX$21.18

-12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$2.13 MX$39.33

0.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$4.91 MX$90.7

-25.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.61 MX$29.82

-29.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.61 MX$48.26

-19.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.55 MX$28.61

-19.35%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.42 MX$44.78

-7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$8.88 MX$164

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$8.37 MX$155

-47.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$10.30 MX$190

-6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$2.38 MX$43.98

19.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.55 MX$28.71

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.32 MX$24.48

19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.32 MX$24.44

38.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.66 MX$30.76

-27.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.11 MX$20.45

-4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$1.51 MX$27.82

-50.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$1.00 MX$18.48

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$4.37 MX$80.8

-32.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$9.52 MX$176

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.64 MX$30.34

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$3.29 MX$60.8

-26.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$0.67 MX$12.40

40.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.23 MX$41.14

-46.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.32 MX$24.48

-37.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$11.82 MX$218

-24.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.34 MX$24.84

-3.73%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$21.2K MX$392.1K

7.35%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$23.1K MX$426.9K

47.00%

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

$134 R$681

$49.69 MX$918

170.32%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$22.89 MX$423

-53.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$21.65 MX$400

5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$34.43 MX$636

-12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$19.83 MX$366

58.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$3.22 MX$59.6

140.06%

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

$584 R$2,960

$256 MX$4,739

127.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$10.7K MX$197.2K

20.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$58.4 MX$1,080

-29.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$40.50 MX$748

21.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$104 MX$1,927

-29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$81.2 MX$1,500

-18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$596 MX$11.0K

51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$391 MX$7,219

34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$1,031 MX$19.1K

29.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$751 MX$13.9K

-0.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,802 MX$33.3K

121.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,216 MX$22.5K

28.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$616 MX$11.4K

4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.32

124.25%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$391 34.9% 25.9% $137

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$250 22.3% 16.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$94 8.4% 43.9% $74

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$205 18.3% 31.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$128 11.4% 23.7% $24

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$12 * 1% 80.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$41 3.7% 10.4% $4.7

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 $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $596 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $43.00 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $250 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

44,103

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,120 including rent). Tlajomulco de Zúñiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $596 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $256 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,120 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Tlajomulco de Zúñiga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Tlajomulco de Zúñiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.