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Oaxaca vs Recife cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐ฝ Oaxaca
๐ง๐ท Recife
At a glance
- Where Recife is clearly cheaper: Hotel night (47%โ), Cocktail & wine (42%โ), Half-day tour (40%โ)
- Where Oaxaca is clearly cheaper: Laundry (55%โ), Scooter rental (52%โ), Transit (35%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Oaxaca 2 vs Recife 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Oaxaca | Recife | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 120$6.45 | R$ 30$5.56 | Recife โ14% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 60$3.23 | R$ 12$2.22 | Recife โ31% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 300$16.1 | R$ 80$14.8 | Recife โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 60$3.23 | R$ 12$2.22 | Recife โ31% |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 50$2.69 | R$ 12$2.22 | Recife โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 130$6.99 | R$ 22$4.07 | Recife โ42% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 15$0.81 | R$ 3$0.56 | Recife โ31% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 22$1.18 | R$ 6$1.11 | Recife โ6% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 70$3.76 | R$ 17$3.15 | Recife โ16% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 45$2.42 | R$ 8$1.48 | Recife โ39% |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 10$0.54 | R$ 4.5$0.83 | Oaxaca โ35% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 200$10.8 | R$ 120$22.2 | Oaxaca โ52% |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,700$91.4 | R$ 260$48.1 | Recife โ47% |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 7,500$403 | R$ 1,800$333 | Recife โ17% |
| Laundry | MX$ 25$1.34 | R$ 16$2.96 | Oaxaca โ55% |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 150$8.06 | R$ 35$6.48 | Recife โ20% |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 120$6.45 | R$ 45$8.33 | Oaxaca โ23% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 600$32.3 | R$ 120$22.2 | Recife โ31% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 400$21.5 | R$ 70$13 | Recife โ40% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 95$5.11 | R$ 30$5.56 | Oaxaca โ8% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Oaxaca or Recife?
Recife is 26% cheaper than Oaxaca. Daily budget $145 vs $93.9; a month $1,751 vs $1,459.
Which is easier to travel, Oaxaca or Recife?
About the same: Oaxaca 2.8/5, Recife 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Oaxaca and Recife?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Oaxaca is about $1,751 and Recife about $1,459 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.