Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Campina Grande and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Campina Grande: $708 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Campina Grande
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Campina Grande Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Campina Grande

🇧🇷 Brazil

$708

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $708 in Campina Grande versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Campina Grande $708
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,100 in Campina Grande versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Campina Grande $1,100
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,492 in Campina Grande versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Campina Grande $1,492
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Campina Grande costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Campina Grande 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 R$21.97

$10.92 MX$204

-62.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.58 R$147

$43.37 MX$808

-36.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 R$35.80

$11.78 MX$220

-43.12%

Cappuccino

$0.97 R$5.19

$3.81 MX$71.0

-74.54%

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

$1.00 R$5.35

$1.28 MX$23.90

-21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.90

$0.78 MX$14.59

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 R$8.12

$3.17 MX$59.0

-52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 R$11.19

$4.93 MX$92.0

-57.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.92

$1.41 MX$26.22

-21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 R$8.31

$2.22 MX$41.33

-30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.34

$1.42 MX$26.42

-29.58%

Eggs

$1.82 R$9.73

$2.52 MX$47.03

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 R$34.78

$7.26 MX$135

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 R$21.28

$7.70 MX$143

-48.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 R$39.04

$12.69 MX$237

-42.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 R$7.09

$2.78 MX$51.9

-52.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.99

$1.37 MX$25.50

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.04

$2.55 MX$47.55

-70.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.29

$2.12 MX$39.58

-44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.13

$1.94 MX$36.13

-40.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.38

$1.89 MX$35.16

-46.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 R$2.40

$1.15 MX$21.37

-60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.73

$1.18 MX$21.98

-40.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 R$8.85

$4.30 MX$80.1

-61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.40 R$39.57

$9.95 MX$185

-25.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.84

$1.58 MX$29.52

-31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.77

$2.67 MX$49.79

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.81

$0.55 MX$10.31

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.89 R$203

$26.62 MX$496

42.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 R$4.27

$4.97 MX$92.6

-83.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.85

$3.33 MX$62.1

-78.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 R$17.14

$5.36 MX$99.8

-40.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 R$6.34

$1.44 MX$26.92

-18.06%

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

$18.3K R$98.0K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-11.29%

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

$32.4K R$173.1K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

37.94%

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

$110 R$587

$84.8 MX$1,581

29.48%

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

$9.49 R$50.7

$23.41 MX$436

-59.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.46 R$88.0

$28.66 MX$534

-42.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.72 R$94.7

$57.1 MX$1,063

-68.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.84 R$149

$28.91 MX$539

-3.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 R$24.28

$5.14 MX$95.8

-11.67%

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

$79.7 R$426

$207 MX$3,851

-61.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K R$60.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

186.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.85 R$186

$43.35 MX$808

-19.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.56 R$137

$41.44 MX$772

-38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 R$364

$74.2 MX$1,383

-8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.62 R$212

$89.3 MX$1,664

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,295

$980 MX$18.3K

-75.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 R$961

$381 MX$7,099

-52.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 R$3,055

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-66.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 R$1,793

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$367 R$1,964

$735 MX$13.7K

-50.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Campina Grande: 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

Campina Grande

$180 25.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 112% $201

Groceries & Markets

Campina Grande

$161 22.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 57.9% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Campina Grande

$136 19.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 0.8% $1.1

Eating Out

Campina Grande

$83 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 145% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Campina Grande

$76 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 47.6% $36

Getting Around

Campina Grande

$46 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 9.9% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Campina Grande

$27 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 151% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Campina Grande and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 100% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Campina Grande vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $255 per month, with Campina Grande cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Campina Grande

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

10:13 10:13 AM

2 h behind Campina Grande

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

419,379

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Campina Grande Playa del Carmen 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Campina Grande
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

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

Campina Grande is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Campina Grande. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $242 in Campina Grande versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Campina Grande – a meal for two runs $28 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $708 per month in Campina Grande versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $708 in Campina Grande versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Campina Grande but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Campina Grande 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.

It comes down to priorities – Campina Grande wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.