Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caxias do Sul and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Caxias do Sul: $817 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Caxias do Sul
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Caxias do Sul Living Index
59

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

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Caxias do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caxias do Sul $817
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,379 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caxias do Sul $1,379
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caxias do Sul $1,941
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Caxias do Sul is about 32% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Caxias do Sul and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Caxias do Sul 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 R$35.32

$10.76 MX$199

-35.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.56 R$195

$43.03 MX$795

-10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 R$35.43

$11.79 MX$218

-40.71%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.82

$3.87 MX$71.4

-49.87%

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

$1.42 R$7.18

$1.37 MX$25.29

3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.58

$0.84 MX$15.44

30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R$11.42

$3.10 MX$57.3

-27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 R$15.07

$5.07 MX$93.6

-41.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R$4.51

$1.44 MX$26.55

-38.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.40

$2.23 MX$41.23

-25.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.77

$1.47 MX$27.17

-22.45%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.12

$2.53 MX$46.71

-20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 R$51.8

$7.30 MX$135

40.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 R$24.76

$7.86 MX$145

-37.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 R$51.7

$12.79 MX$236

-20.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.93

$2.90 MX$53.6

-46.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.55

$1.44 MX$26.53

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 R$2.95

$2.55 MX$47.07

-77.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.42

$2.06 MX$38.03

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.96

$2.00 MX$36.97

-51.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 R$3.41

$2.01 MX$37.07

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$3.99

$1.19 MX$22.02

-33.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.71

$1.26 MX$23.23

-42.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 R$12.91

$4.40 MX$81.4

-42.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 R$20.09

$9.59 MX$177

-58.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.59 MX$29.41

-29.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$11.35

$2.81 MX$51.9

-20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R$7.11

$0.57 MX$10.47

145.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.70 R$222

$27.82 MX$514

57.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.46

$4.98 MX$92.1

-74.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.12

$3.50 MX$64.6

-76.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 R$40.94

$5.40 MX$99.8

49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.47 MX$27.08

-11.56%

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

$23.7K R$120.4K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

13.16%

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

$33.5K R$169.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

40.07%

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

$71.6 R$363

$84.2 MX$1,556

-15.03%

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

$12.57 R$63.7

$23.99 MX$443

-47.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.36 R$113

$29.02 MX$536

-22.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.54 R$135

$63.0 MX$1,164

-57.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 R$299

$29.14 MX$539

102.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 R$37.94

$4.94 MX$91.3

51.42%

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

$406 R$2,056

$204 MX$3,763

99.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K R$122.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

514.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 R$255

$43.60 MX$806

15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 R$186

$43.12 MX$797

-14.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$512

$75.8 MX$1,400

33.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 R$404

$88.6 MX$1,637

-10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 R$1,378

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-73.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 R$932

$374 MX$6,911

-50.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 R$3,554

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R$2,173

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-61.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,769 R$8,967

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-55.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 R$6,217

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-80.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$565 R$2,862

$754 MX$13.9K

-25.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.45

0.44%

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

Last update for Caxias do Sul: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caxias do Sul

$184 22.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 103% $190

Groceries & Markets

Caxias do Sul

$183 22.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 41.3% $76

Eating Out

Caxias do Sul

$127 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 59% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Caxias do Sul

$120 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 6.2% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caxias do Sul

$106 13%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 28.8% $31

Getting Around

Caxias do Sul

$55 6.7%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 3.8% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Caxias do Sul

$42 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 75.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Caxias do Sul versus $1,008 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 run about 34% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Caxias do Sul versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $258 – making Caxias do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caxias do Sul

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

10:22 10:22 AM

2 h behind Caxias do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,501

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caxias do Sul Playa del Carmen 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Caxias do Sul
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

Caxias do Sul vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $817 in Caxias do Sul, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Caxias do Sul and $1,816 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 Caxias do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Caxias do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Caxias do Sul and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caxias do Sul, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Caxias do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Caxias do Sul to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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