Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barra do Garças and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Barra do Garças: $792 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Barra do Garças, Brazil
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Barra do Garças
🇧🇷 Brazil
$792
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barra do Garças 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 Barra do Garças and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $792 per month in Barra do Garças vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Barra do Garças $792
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,300 per month in Barra do Garças vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Barra do Garças $1,300
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,807 per month in Barra do Garças vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Barra do Garças $1,807
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Barra do Garças is about 34% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barra do Garças and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Barra do Garças 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.48 R$29.33
$10.92 MX$204
-49.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.13 R$172
$43.37 MX$810
-25.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.46 R$39.92
$11.78 MX$220
-36.67%
Cappuccino
$1.82 R$9.74
$3.81 MX$71.2
-52.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 R$6.85
$1.28 MX$23.96
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 R$3.78
$0.78 MX$14.63
-8.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.91 R$10.21
$3.17 MX$59.2
-39.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 R$14.83
$4.93 MX$92.2
-43.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 R$5.26
$1.41 MX$26.28
-30.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 R$8.60
$2.22 MX$41.43
-27.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.20 R$6.43
$1.42 MX$26.48
-15.49%
Eggs
$2.07 R$11.07
$2.52 MX$47.14
-17.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R$46.73
$7.26 MX$136
20.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.07 R$21.79
$7.70 MX$144
-47.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.05 R$43.10
$12.69 MX$237
-36.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.13 R$11.39
$2.78 MX$52.0
-23.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.55
$1.37 MX$25.56
-10.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.11 R$5.95
$2.55 MX$47.66
-56.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 R$7.85
$2.12 MX$39.67
-30.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 R$6.29
$1.94 MX$36.22
-39.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 R$5.51
$1.89 MX$35.24
-45.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 R$3.90
$1.15 MX$21.42
-36.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 R$4.37
$1.18 MX$22.03
-30.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.09 R$11.18
$4.30 MX$80.3
-51.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.29 R$39.02
$9.95 MX$186
-26.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 R$6.27
$1.58 MX$29.59
-25.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 R$10.73
$2.67 MX$49.91
-24.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 R$4.95
$0.55 MX$10.34
69.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.82 R$218
$26.62 MX$497
53.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.39 R$7.45
$4.97 MX$92.9
-72.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 R$4.95
$3.33 MX$62.2
-72.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.74 R$36.08
$5.36 MX$100
25.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 R$6.47
$1.44 MX$26.98
-15.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K R$132.6K
$20.7K MX$386.2K
19.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K R$150.7K
$23.5K MX$438.5K
19.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.2 R$370
$84.8 MX$1,584
-18.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.88 R$58.2
$23.41 MX$437
-53.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.00 R$91.0
$28.66 MX$535
-40.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.98 R$112
$57.1 MX$1,066
-63.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.28 R$125
$28.91 MX$540
-19.47%
Cinema Ticket
$6.41 R$34.29
$5.14 MX$96.0
24.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$222 R$1,188
$207 MX$3,860
7.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,619 R$35.4K
$3,927 MX$73.4K
68.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.5 R$297
$43.35 MX$810
28.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 R$277
$41.44 MX$774
24.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.7 R$437
$74.2 MX$1,386
10.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.6 R$351
$89.3 MX$1,668
-26.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$316 R$1,690
$980 MX$18.3K
-67.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$203 R$1,086
$381 MX$7,116
-46.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$603 R$3,225
$1,708 MX$31.9K
-64.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$453 R$2,426
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-57.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,496 R$8,004
$3,943 MX$73.7K
-62.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,101 R$5,892
$6,158 MX$115.1K
-82.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barra do Garças
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
11.45
-3.93%

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

Last update for Barra do Garças: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barra do Garças
$203
Playa del Carmen
$381 87.6% $178
Groceries & Markets
Barra do Garças
$182
Playa del Carmen
$255 39.8% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Barra do Garças
$115
Playa del Carmen
$112 2.5% $2.8
Eating Out
Barra do Garças
$111
Playa del Carmen
$202 82.2% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barra do Garças
$97
Playa del Carmen
$137 41% $40
Getting Around
Barra do Garças
$51
Playa del Carmen
$50 0.2% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Barra do Garças
$34
Playa del Carmen
$67 99.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $316 in Barra do Garças versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Barra do Garças versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $255 – making Barra do Garças the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Barra do Garças
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
09:05 9:05 AM
08:05 8:05 AM
1 h behind Barra do Garças
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,210
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barra do Garças Playa del Carmen 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barra do Garças
  • 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
Barra do Garças vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Barra do Garças and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $792 in Barra do Garças, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Barra do Garças compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,188 per month in Barra do Garças and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Barra do Garças and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Barra do Garças, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $316 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
How do commuting costs compare in Barra do Garças and in Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 35% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barra do Garças and Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Barra do Garças and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Barra do Garças, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Barra do Garças it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Barra do Garças and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $792 in Barra do Garças to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Barra do Garças vs other spots: cost of living compared

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