Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Frio and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
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Cabo Frio Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $625 per month in Cabo Frio vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cabo Frio $625
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Cabo Frio vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,031
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,438 per month in Cabo Frio vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,438
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Cabo Frio is about 48% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabo Frio and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Cabo Frio 54% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 R$30.63

$10.67 MX$201

-47.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 R$153

$43.80 MX$824

-36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$35.46

$11.79 MX$222

-45.21%

Cappuccino

$1.62 R$8.90

$3.79 MX$71.2

-57.26%

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

$1.26 R$6.91

$1.30 MX$24.41

-3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.75

$0.83 MX$15.69

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 R$6.20

$3.15 MX$59.2

-64.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R$9.84

$4.93 MX$92.9

-63.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 R$4.22

$1.41 MX$26.51

-45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.72

$2.20 MX$41.32

-35.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.19

$1.47 MX$27.71

-48.30%

Eggs

$1.43 R$7.85

$2.50 MX$46.99

-42.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 R$39.49

$7.29 MX$137

-1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 R$17.47

$7.95 MX$150

-60.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 R$50.4

$12.86 MX$242

-28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.71

$2.90 MX$54.5

-38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$6.06

$1.38 MX$26.03

-20.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.95

$2.49 MX$46.88

-63.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.50

$2.03 MX$38.20

-41.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.51

$2.02 MX$38.11

-68.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 R$4.14

$1.90 MX$35.82

-60.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 R$2.92

$1.14 MX$21.54

-53.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.94

$1.24 MX$23.32

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 R$8.21

$4.27 MX$80.4

-64.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 R$30.20

$9.81 MX$185

-43.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.59 MX$29.85

-44.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.24

$2.75 MX$51.7

-52.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.87

$0.51 MX$9.69

145.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$410

$27.39 MX$515

172.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.68

$4.76 MX$89.6

-74.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$4.00

$3.25 MX$61.1

-77.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 R$39.72

$5.39 MX$101

34.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.91

$1.53 MX$28.76

-29.41%

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

$19.7K R$108.2K

$21.2K MX$399.2K

-7.06%

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

$28.6K R$156.8K

$23.3K MX$437.8K

22.84%

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

$54.1 R$297

$83.5 MX$1,571

-35.23%

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

$7.04 R$38.66

$23.19 MX$436

-69.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 R$69.9

$27.61 MX$520

-53.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.35 R$112

$56.4 MX$1,062

-63.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 R$24.10

$5.00 MX$94.1

-12.20%

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

$135 R$740

$207 MX$3,897

-34.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 R$13.4K

$5,231 MX$98.4K

-53.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 R$231

$43.45 MX$818

-3.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 R$205

$42.54 MX$801

-12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 R$285

$72.8 MX$1,369

-28.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.49 R$244

$88.4 MX$1,663

-49.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,295

$995 MX$18.7K

-57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 R$594

$382 MX$7,197

-71.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 R$3,355

$1,674 MX$31.5K

-63.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,439

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-75.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 R$1,407

$832 MX$15.7K

-69.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.45

-6.81%

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

Last update for Cabo Frio: 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

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 70.9% $107

Accommodation & Living

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 253% $274

Eating Out

Cabo Frio

$100 16%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 101% $101

Getting Around

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 40.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 40.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 81.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 128% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Cabo Frio versus $995 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Cabo Frio versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $257 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

23:04 11:04 PM

2 h behind Cabo Frio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,161

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cabo Frio Playa del Carmen 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo Frio
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Cabo Frio and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $625 in Cabo Frio and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Cabo Frio about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cabo Frio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.