Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio do Sul and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio do Sul and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $798 in Rio do Sul versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,233 in Rio do Sul versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,667 in Rio do Sul versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Rio do Sul costs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio do Sul is 42% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 R$24.40

$11.83 MX$200

-60.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.96 R$109

$52.2 MX$884

-59.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 R$39.86

$10.87 MX$184

-29.35%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R$10.58

$4.03 MX$68.2

-49.38%

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

$1.16 R$6.05

$1.71 MX$28.99

-32.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.48

$1.34 MX$22.70

-35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R$14.35

$3.39 MX$57.5

-18.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 R$22.46

$5.74 MX$97.3

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 R$5.09

$1.89 MX$31.99

-48.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 R$9.06

$3.17 MX$53.8

-45.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.26

$2.05 MX$34.74

-40.98%

Eggs

$1.51 R$7.82

$3.01 MX$51.1

-49.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 R$39.77

$12.61 MX$214

-39.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.53

$9.94 MX$169

-62.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R$34.48

$16.00 MX$271

-58.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.19

$3.28 MX$55.6

-51.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.10

$2.06 MX$34.87

-52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.93

$2.09 MX$35.36

-63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.98

$2.50 MX$42.44

-54.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 R$4.01

$2.05 MX$34.76

-62.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 R$3.48

$1.87 MX$31.70

-64.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 R$3.72

$1.57 MX$26.66

-54.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.90

$1.39 MX$23.64

-46.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 R$14.54

$5.38 MX$91.2

-47.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.93 R$20.38

$17.95 MX$304

-78.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$7.11

$2.02 MX$34.31

-32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 R$13.97

$4.76 MX$80.7

-43.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.20

$0.36 MX$6.13

177.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 R$218

$20.80 MX$353

101.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 R$6.30

$2.06 MX$34.92

-41.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.80

$0.56 MX$9.55

30.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 R$29.92

$5.82 MX$98.6

-1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.82

$1.54 MX$26.05

-27.27%

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

$23.2K R$120.5K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

3.33%

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

$31.3K R$162.6K

$26.5K MX$448.7K

18.23%

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

$61.6 R$320

$66.0 MX$1,118

-6.64%

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

$9.63 R$50.0

$30.98 MX$525

-68.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 R$103

$36.20 MX$613

-45.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 R$131

$57.5 MX$975

-56.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.26 R$142

$26.75 MX$453

1.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 R$25.42

$7.13 MX$121

-31.42%

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

$299 R$1,552

$457 MX$7,738

-34.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K R$56.0K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

-18.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.96 R$254

$75.8 MX$1,285

-35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 R$262

$54.1 MX$917

-6.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 R$398

$116 MX$1,974

-34.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.58 R$252

$122 MX$2,063

-60.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 R$1,805

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-69.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 R$1,214

$726 MX$12.3K

-67.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 R$3,356

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-74.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 R$2,314

$1,331 MX$22.6K

-66.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,610 R$8,363

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,151 R$5,977

$2,149 MX$36.4K

-46.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

11.35

1.67%

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

Last update for Rio do Sul: August 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Rio do Sul and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Rio do Sul vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $344 per month, with Rio do Sul cheaper across the board.

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 do Sul vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio do Sul and Mexico City differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($798 vs $1,682 including rent). Rio do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,197 in Rio do Sul and $2,523 in Mexico City 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: $348 in Rio do Sul versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio do Sul runs roughly 102% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $299 in Rio do Sul versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $798 in Rio do Sul versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rio do Sul but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rio do Sul 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 Rio do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.