Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braganca and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Braganca: $1,014 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Braganca, Portugal
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Braganca
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,014
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Braganca versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Braganca $1,014
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Braganca versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Braganca $1,532
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,049 in Braganca versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Braganca $2,049
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Braganca costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Braganca 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.30 €10.12
$10.92 MX$205
3.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.85 €35.69
$43.37 MX$814
-8.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.21 €8.24
$11.78 MX$221
-21.82%
Cappuccino
$1.43 €1.28
$3.81 MX$71.5
-62.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.24
$1.28 MX$24.07
7.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 €0.93
$0.78 MX$14.70
32.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.10 €0.98
$3.17 MX$59.5
-65.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$4.93 MX$92.7
-53.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 €0.95
$1.41 MX$26.40
-24.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.54
$2.22 MX$41.62
-22.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.42 MX$26.61
6.34%
Eggs
$3.22 €2.88
$2.52 MX$47.36
27.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.38 €8.40
$7.26 MX$136
29.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.38 €5.72
$7.70 MX$144
-17.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.09 €10.83
$12.69 MX$238
-4.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.36 €2.12
$2.78 MX$52.3
-15.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.37 MX$25.68
-0.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.55 MX$47.89
-28.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.66 €2.38
$2.12 MX$39.86
25.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.94 MX$36.39
2.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.89 MX$35.41
3.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.15 MX$21.53
17.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 €0.81
$1.18 MX$22.13
-22.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.77 €5.17
$4.30 MX$80.6
34.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.42 €3.96
$9.95 MX$187
-55.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.58 MX$29.73
-26.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.67 MX$50.1
-41.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.39
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.33 €10.14
$26.62 MX$500
-57.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.91 €3.50
$4.97 MX$93.3
-21.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 €1.01
$3.33 MX$62.5
-66.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.23 €14.53
$5.36 MX$101
202.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.44 MX$27.11
50.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.2K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
63.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.6K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
59.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 €93.0
$84.8 MX$1,592
22.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.79 €15.04
$23.41 MX$439
-28.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.87 €31.23
$28.66 MX$538
21.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.95 €30.40
$57.1 MX$1,071
-40.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.65 €5.06
$28.91 MX$543
-80.46%
Cinema Ticket
$5.50 €4.92
$5.14 MX$96.5
7.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$307 €275
$207 MX$3,878
48.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,170 €8,213
$3,927 MX$73.7K
133.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.69 €20.32
$43.35 MX$814
-47.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.62 €20.26
$41.44 MX$778
-45.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.5 €60.4
$74.2 MX$1,393
-9.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 €88.4
$89.3 MX$1,676
10.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$400 €358
$980 MX$18.4K
-59.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$315 €282
$381 MX$7,150
-17.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$735 €658
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-56.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$474 €424
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-55.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,064 €953
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-73.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$853 €764
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-86.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Braganca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,160 €1,039
$735 MX$13.8K
57.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.47
11.45
-69.69%

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

Last update for Braganca: October 26, 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
Braganca
$315
Playa del Carmen
$381 20.8% $65
Groceries & Markets
Braganca
$228
Playa del Carmen
$255 12% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Braganca
$155
Playa del Carmen
$137 12% $19
Eating Out
Braganca
$155
Playa del Carmen
$202 30.6% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Braganca
$95
Playa del Carmen
$112 17.4% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Braganca
$45
Playa del Carmen
$67 49.8% $22
Getting Around
Braganca
$21 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 142% $30

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 $400 in Braganca and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braganca pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Braganca vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $255 per month, with Braganca cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Braganca
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
23:19 11:19 PM
18:19 6:19 PM
5 h behind Braganca
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,589
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Braganca Playa del Carmen 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Braganca
  • 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
Braganca vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Braganca and in Playa del Carmen?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,014 in Braganca and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Braganca is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Braganca or Playa del Carmen?
Average pay runs 58% higher in Braganca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Braganca and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $400 in Braganca versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Braganca and in Playa del Carmen?
A monthly transit pass in Braganca runs roughly 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Braganca and Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $307 in Braganca versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How far does $2,000 go in Braganca compared to Playa del Carmen?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Braganca gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Braganca and Playa del Carmen?
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.
Where should expats move: Braganca or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Braganca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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