Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,155 in Castelo Branco versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,754 in Castelo Branco versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,354 in Castelo Branco versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Castelo Branco 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 €9.85

$11.71 MX$198

-2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.39 €34.73

$46.59 MX$788

-13.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 €8.47

$11.65 MX$197

-15.36%

Cappuccino

$1.34 €1.15

$4.09 MX$69.2

-67.24%

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

$1.41 €1.22

$1.37 MX$23.23

2.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.83 MX$14.09

53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 €0.97

$3.35 MX$56.7

-66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$6.91 MX$117

-65.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.73 MX$29.20

-29.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.26 MX$38.21

-41.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.77 MX$29.91

-15.25%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.49

$2.73 MX$46.19

48.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 €8.18

$9.18 MX$155

3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 €5.20

$8.92 MX$151

-32.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 €7.74

$12.60 MX$213

-28.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$3.02 MX$51.1

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.57 MX$26.55

-15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.13 MX$35.93

-13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.26 MX$38.28

7.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$2.00 MX$33.88

-13.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.06 MX$34.90

-24.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.18 MX$19.94

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$1.20 MX$20.35

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.23

$4.63 MX$78.4

31.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$10.69 MX$181

-67.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.62 MX$27.38

-25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.88 MX$48.70

-30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.57 MX$9.69

131.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.05 €19.81

$29.83 MX$504

-22.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 €2.05

$5.45 MX$92.1

-56.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 €0.72

$3.70 MX$62.6

-77.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.52 €15.06

$5.98 MX$101

192.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.55 MX$26.26

41.29%

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

$34.8K €30.0K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

56.05%

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

$42.4K €36.4K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

63.39%

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

$125 €107

$89.1 MX$1,507

39.89%

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

$19.42 €16.70

$25.04 MX$423

-22.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.33 €29.51

$31.50 MX$532

8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.88 €34.28

$67.8 MX$1,146

-41.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 €6.17

$5.05 MX$85.4

41.98%

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

$705 €606

$225 MX$3,803

213.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K €15.3K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

320.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 €69.8

$47.44 MX$802

71.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$44.98 MX$760

4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 €73.2

$82.0 MX$1,386

3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 €59.5

$92.1 MX$1,557

-24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 €410

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-55.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 €330

$405 MX$6,852

-5.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €729

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €557

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-50.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,643 €1,412

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-58.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,410 €1,213

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-78.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 €1,457

$749 MX$12.7K

126.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.45

-66.90%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Castelo Branco and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Castelo Branco vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $277 per month, with Castelo Branco 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

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

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $477 in Castelo Branco versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,155 per month in Castelo Branco versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,155 in Castelo Branco versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelo Branco and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.