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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Brasilia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Brasilia versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,132 in Brasilia versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 R$45.75

$11.96 MX$203

-25.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.80 R$199

$47.38 MX$804

-18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 R$43.54

$11.75 MX$199

-27.74%

Cappuccino

$2.58 R$13.24

$4.12 MX$70.0

-37.38%

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

$1.41 R$7.22

$1.40 MX$23.74

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.91 MX$15.48

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$12.07

$3.21 MX$54.4

-26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 R$19.83

$7.07 MX$120

-45.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.53

$1.68 MX$28.44

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 R$10.43

$2.15 MX$36.48

-5.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.58

$1.77 MX$30.10

-27.68%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.45

$2.82 MX$47.76

-13.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 R$60.6

$9.20 MX$156

28.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$21.09

$9.23 MX$157

-55.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.47

$12.64 MX$214

-32.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 R$12.39

$2.95 MX$50.1

-17.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.47

$1.58 MX$26.79

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.55

$2.22 MX$37.70

-42.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.45

$2.36 MX$40.09

-30.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$1.99 MX$33.81

-41.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.98 MX$33.58

-45.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.03

$1.24 MX$21.04

-36.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.85

$1.21 MX$20.55

-21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 R$12.29

$4.60 MX$78.1

-47.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 R$42.17

$10.52 MX$178

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.27

$1.69 MX$28.70

-27.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.02

$2.77 MX$47.06

-15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.10

$0.60 MX$10.22

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.06 R$180

$29.70 MX$504

18.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.47

$5.24 MX$88.8

-79.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.73

$3.65 MX$61.9

-74.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 R$30.99

$5.78 MX$98.1

4.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.73

$1.54 MX$26.09

-14.94%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

2.30%

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

$31.9K R$163.6K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

23.66%

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

$96.4 R$494

$90.7 MX$1,538

6.35%

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

$12.61 R$64.6

$25.19 MX$427

-49.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.81 R$112

$31.75 MX$539

-31.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.07 R$159

$68.8 MX$1,167

-54.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.00 R$138

$29.37 MX$498

-8.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R$39.38

$4.86 MX$82.5

58.02%

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

$822 R$4,214

$226 MX$3,828

264.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K R$84.3K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

292.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 R$265

$47.38 MX$804

9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 R$222

$43.45 MX$737

-0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 R$427

$80.2 MX$1,361

3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 R$443

$91.4 MX$1,550

-5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,453

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-55.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 R$1,322

$409 MX$6,933

-36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 R$5,719

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-43.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 R$2,855

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-56.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 R$12.6K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-39.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,748 R$8,962

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-73.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 R$4,327

$773 MX$13.1K

9.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.45

5.85%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Brasilia and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $278 per month, with Brasilia 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

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

Brasilia and Playa del Carmen differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $1,305 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Brasilia, 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: $479 in Brasilia versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $969 per month in Brasilia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $969 in Brasilia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.