Cost of Living Comparison Between Braganca and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Braganca and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,043 in Braganca versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,575 in Braganca versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,106 in Braganca versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Braganca costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Braganca 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 €7.91

$11.94 MX$209

-22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.57 €29.59

$42.75 MX$748

-19.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.75

$10.59 MX$185

-14.45%

Cappuccino

$1.50 €1.28

$3.62 MX$63.4

-58.56%

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

$1.57 €1.35

$1.47 MX$25.69

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.94 MX$16.51

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 €1.50

$3.09 MX$54.1

-43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.50

$4.46 MX$78.0

-34.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.43 MX$24.94

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.88 MX$32.97

-25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.63 MX$28.50

-15.34%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.66

$2.64 MX$46.26

17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 €6.74

$8.21 MX$144

-4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 €5.09

$8.29 MX$145

-28.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 €9.06

$11.10 MX$194

-4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.65 MX$46.40

-10.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.50 MX$26.26

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.99 MX$34.79

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$2.08 MX$36.33

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.79 MX$31.29

-23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.18 MX$38.09

-16.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.08 MX$18.84

59.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$1.04 MX$18.15

-16.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 €5.22

$3.97 MX$69.5

53.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 €4.03

$10.20 MX$179

-53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.93

$1.73 MX$30.22

-36.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.50 MX$43.71

-6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.52 MX$9.07

355.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.38 €9.74

$26.97 MX$472

-57.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.14 MX$55.0

46.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.88

$2.40 MX$42.04

-57.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 €12.60

$3.09 MX$54.0

376.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.27 MX$22.28

50.39%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

24.52%

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

$39.5K €33.8K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

69.31%

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

$134 €115

$82.0 MX$1,435

63.64%

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

$19.74 €16.90

$22.45 MX$393

-12.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 €25.11

$29.66 MX$519

-1.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.37 €30.27

$51.9 MX$908

-31.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.91 €5.06

$18.67 MX$327

-68.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 €5.09

$4.97 MX$87.0

19.72%

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

$459 €393

$198 MX$3,462

132.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,453 €7,236

$5,273 MX$92.3K

60.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.74 €19.47

$36.34 MX$636

-37.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.56 €20.16

$40.05 MX$701

-41.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €80.4

$79.9 MX$1,398

17.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €132

$88.9 MX$1,555

73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 €373

$963 MX$16.9K

-54.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 €269

$465 MX$8,133

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €647

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-52.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 €399

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-61.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,132 €969

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-71.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$873 €747

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-86.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,202 €1,029

$720 MX$12.6K

66.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-56.22%

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

Last update for Braganca: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Braganca and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braganca pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Braganca vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $251 per month, with Braganca 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

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

Braganca and Playa del Carmen differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,043 vs $1,287 including rent). Braganca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Braganca pays 67% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $435 in Braganca versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braganca runs roughly 137% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $459 in Braganca versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,043 in Braganca versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braganca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Braganca 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.

Safety-wise, Braganca and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Braganca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.