Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracaju: $659 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Aracaju
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Aracaju Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Aracaju

🇧🇷 Brazil

$659

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aracaju and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aracaju and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $659 in Aracaju versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Aracaju $659
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,043 in Aracaju versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Aracaju $1,043
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,427 in Aracaju versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Aracaju $1,427
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Aracaju costs roughly 45% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aracaju 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 R$25.28

$10.67 MX$199

-56.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.63 R$118

$43.80 MX$815

-50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 R$29.61

$11.79 MX$219

-54.03%

Cappuccino

$1.92 R$10.48

$3.79 MX$70.5

-49.34%

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

$1.07 R$5.85

$1.30 MX$24.14

-17.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 R$3.02

$0.83 MX$15.51

-33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 R$10.25

$3.15 MX$58.6

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 R$15.85

$4.93 MX$91.8

-41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.61

$1.41 MX$26.22

-26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 R$7.65

$2.20 MX$40.86

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.94

$1.47 MX$27.40

-25.85%

Eggs

$1.59 R$8.66

$2.50 MX$46.46

-36.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 R$38.20

$7.29 MX$136

-4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 R$19.63

$7.95 MX$148

-54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R$37.24

$12.86 MX$239

-46.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 R$10.57

$2.90 MX$53.9

-33.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.74

$1.38 MX$25.74

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 R$3.59

$2.49 MX$46.35

-73.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.49

$2.03 MX$37.77

-59.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.61

$2.02 MX$37.68

-49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.90

$1.90 MX$35.42

-52.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 R$2.79

$1.14 MX$21.30

-55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.83

$1.24 MX$23.05

-43.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.30

$4.27 MX$79.5

-47.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 R$30.48

$9.81 MX$183

-43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$6.22

$1.59 MX$29.51

-28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$10.13

$2.75 MX$51.1

-32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.65

$0.51 MX$9.58

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.97 R$213

$27.39 MX$510

42.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$6.33

$4.76 MX$88.6

-75.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 R$3.33

$3.25 MX$60.5

-81.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 R$33.05

$5.39 MX$100

12.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.50

$1.53 MX$28.44

-22.22%

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

$21.4K R$116.7K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

0.72%

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

$31.0K R$169.1K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

33.14%

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

$58.7 R$320

$83.5 MX$1,554

-29.72%

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

$9.26 R$50.6

$23.19 MX$431

-60.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.77 R$86.1

$27.61 MX$514

-42.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.03 R$115

$56.4 MX$1,050

-62.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.96 R$142

$28.19 MX$525

-7.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 R$31.92

$5.00 MX$93.1

17.00%

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

$277 R$1,513

$207 MX$3,854

33.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,017 R$27.4K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

-4.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$290

$43.45 MX$809

22.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.44 R$177

$42.54 MX$792

-23.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 R$443

$72.8 MX$1,354

11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 R$411

$88.4 MX$1,645

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 R$1,530

$995 MX$18.5K

-71.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 R$736

$382 MX$7,116

-64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 R$3,224

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-64.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 R$1,366

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-76.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 R$6,573

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-69.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,636

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-86.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$422 R$2,302

$832 MX$15.5K

-49.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Aracaju: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aracaju

$154 23.4%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 67% $103

Accommodation & Living

Aracaju

$135 20.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 184% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Aracaju

$109 16.5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 2.2% $2.4

Eating Out

Aracaju

$98 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 104% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aracaju

$84 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 60.4% $51

Getting Around

Aracaju

$47 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 8.3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Aracaju

$33 5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 103% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Aracaju and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $22 in Aracaju vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $257 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Aracaju

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

14:59 2:59 PM

2 h behind Aracaju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

602,757

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aracaju Playa del Carmen 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Aracaju
Playa del Carmen

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

Aracaju vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $659 in Aracaju and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, so Aracaju is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Aracaju. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Aracaju versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $277 in Aracaju versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $659 in Aracaju versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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.

It comes down to priorities – Aracaju wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.