Cost of Living Comparison Between Campos do Jordão and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Campos do Jordão and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,403 in Campos do Jordão versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,206 in Campos do Jordão versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,009 in Campos do Jordão versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Campos do Jordão is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Campos do Jordão is 2% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 R$40.78

$11.96 MX$203

-33.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.51 R$162

$47.38 MX$804

-33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.88 R$35.27

$11.75 MX$199

-41.45%

Cappuccino

$2.71 R$13.91

$4.12 MX$70.0

-34.22%

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

$1.00 R$5.12

$1.40 MX$23.74

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.14

$0.91 MX$15.48

-10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 R$5.15

$3.21 MX$54.4

-68.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 R$15.21

$7.07 MX$120

-57.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.41

$1.68 MX$28.44

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.22

$2.15 MX$36.48

-16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.60

$1.77 MX$30.10

-27.12%

Eggs

$2.36 R$12.12

$2.82 MX$47.76

-16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 R$60.2

$9.20 MX$156

27.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R$23.98

$9.23 MX$157

-49.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 R$48.32

$12.64 MX$214

-25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 R$10.74

$2.95 MX$50.1

-29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.47

$1.58 MX$26.79

-20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.39

$2.22 MX$37.70

-8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.37

$2.36 MX$40.09

-22.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.71

$1.99 MX$33.81

-34.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.72

$1.98 MX$33.58

-33.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R$6.02

$1.24 MX$21.04

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.79

$1.21 MX$20.55

-23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 R$11.73

$4.60 MX$78.1

-50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.98

$10.52 MX$178

-24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.67

$1.69 MX$28.70

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R$9.62

$2.77 MX$47.06

-32.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.33 R$196

$29.70 MX$504

29.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 R$7.68

$5.24 MX$88.8

-71.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 R$7.77

$3.65 MX$61.9

-58.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 R$29.73

$5.78 MX$98.1

0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.48

$1.54 MX$26.09

-18.18%

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

$23.2K R$119.2K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

1.95%

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

$32.6K R$167.4K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

26.48%

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

$77.6 R$398

$90.7 MX$1,538

-14.44%

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

$9.62 R$49.30

$25.19 MX$427

-61.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.38 R$89.1

$31.75 MX$539

-45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.64 R$90.4

$68.8 MX$1,167

-74.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.72 R$111

$29.37 MX$498

-26.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R$45.57

$4.86 MX$82.5

82.92%

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

$116 R$596

$226 MX$3,828

-48.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K R$52.0K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

142.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.76 R$199

$47.38 MX$804

-18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.95 R$189

$43.45 MX$737

-14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 R$477

$80.2 MX$1,361

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.1 R$298

$91.4 MX$1,550

-36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$2,974

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 R$4,011

$409 MX$6,933

91.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 R$7,134

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 R$8,094

$1,281 MX$21.7K

23.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 R$5,937

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-71.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 R$7,068

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-79.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$287 R$1,470

$773 MX$13.1K

-62.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.79

11.45

11.70%

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

Last update for Campos do Jordão: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $580 in Campos do Jordão and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 170% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Campos do Jordão vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $278 per month, with Campos do Jordão 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

Campos do Jordão vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Campos do Jordão and Playa del Carmen differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,403 vs $1,305 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 170% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $580 in Campos do Jordão versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $116 in Campos do Jordão versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Campos do Jordão pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,403 in Campos do Jordão, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Campos do Jordão. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Campos do Jordão. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.