Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castanhal and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $879 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Castanhal
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Castanhal Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Castanhal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$879

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $879 in Castanhal versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Castanhal $879
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,407 in Castanhal versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Castanhal $1,407
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,936 in Castanhal versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Castanhal $1,936
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Castanhal costs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Castanhal 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.18 R$31.34

$10.86 MX$201

-43.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.20 R$163

$44.21 MX$817

-27.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 R$39.25

$11.76 MX$217

-34.18%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.59

$3.68 MX$68.0

-43.21%

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

$1.34 R$6.79

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.12

$0.82 MX$15.24

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.21

$3.06 MX$56.6

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 R$14.88

$4.94 MX$91.2

-40.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.47 MX$27.17

-31.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.67

$2.22 MX$40.95

-22.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.48 MX$27.32

-12.16%

Eggs

$2.16 R$10.95

$2.49 MX$45.99

-13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 R$47.34

$7.52 MX$139

24.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 R$21.20

$7.96 MX$147

-47.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.34 R$42.29

$12.57 MX$232

-33.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 R$11.26

$2.78 MX$51.3

-20.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.43 MX$26.37

-11.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$2.62 MX$48.37

-53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.14

$2.14 MX$39.49

-24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.21

$2.02 MX$37.38

-39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.69

$1.99 MX$36.74

-43.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.21

$1.14 MX$21.01

-27.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.11

$1.20 MX$22.18

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 R$12.53

$4.26 MX$78.7

-42.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 R$41.24

$10.02 MX$185

-18.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.54 MX$28.41

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.54

$2.66 MX$49.17

-21.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.08

$0.53 MX$9.73

88.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.66 R$221

$27.51 MX$508

58.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.48

$4.90 MX$90.6

-73.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$3.43 MX$63.5

-73.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 R$40.34

$5.38 MX$99.4

47.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.41

$1.45 MX$26.76

-13.10%

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

$24.0K R$121.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

13.59%

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

$33.3K R$168.6K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

44.49%

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

$77.1 R$391

$85.4 MX$1,577

-9.65%

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

$12.19 R$61.8

$23.46 MX$434

-48.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.78 R$105

$28.43 MX$525

-26.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.24 R$133

$62.2 MX$1,149

-57.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 R$142

$28.68 MX$530

-2.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 R$37.38

$5.10 MX$94.3

44.51%

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

$285 R$1,445

$201 MX$3,715

41.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,284 R$36.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

84.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 R$279

$44.39 MX$820

24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 R$258

$41.35 MX$764

22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 R$463

$72.7 MX$1,344

25.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 R$370

$89.6 MX$1,656

-18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 R$1,817

$979 MX$18.1K

-63.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 R$1,206

$373 MX$6,887

-36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 R$3,475

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-59.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 R$2,437

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-56.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,704 R$8,639

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-56.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 R$6,021

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-80.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Castanhal: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Castanhal

$238 27.1%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 56.6% $135

Groceries & Markets

Castanhal

$192 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 34.2% $66

Eating Out

Castanhal

$122 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 63.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Castanhal

$122 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 8.2% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castanhal

$110 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 24.7% $27

Getting Around

Castanhal

$54 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 3.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Castanhal

$41 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 76.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Castanhal and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Castanhal vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $258 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Castanhal

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

2 h behind Castanhal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

192,256

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castanhal Playa del Carmen 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Castanhal
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

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

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,318 in Castanhal and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $358 in Castanhal versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $879 per month in Castanhal versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $879 in Castanhal versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $879 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.