Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contenda and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $883 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 Contenda
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Contenda Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$883

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $883 per month in Contenda vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Contenda $883
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Contenda vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Contenda $1,362
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Contenda vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Contenda $1,840
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Contenda is about 27% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Contenda and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Contenda 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 R$20.80

$10.86 MX$201

-62.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.04 R$61.0

$44.21 MX$817

-72.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 R$39.88

$11.76 MX$217

-33.08%

Cappuccino

$2.51 R$12.72

$3.68 MX$68.0

-31.79%

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

$1.38 R$7.00

$1.34 MX$24.79

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$0.82 MX$15.24

-23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 R$10.35

$3.06 MX$56.6

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R$9.96

$4.94 MX$91.2

-60.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.47 MX$27.17

-27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.23

$2.22 MX$40.95

-27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.48 MX$27.32

-14.86%

Eggs

$2.59 R$13.12

$2.49 MX$45.99

4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 R$50.5

$7.52 MX$139

32.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$20.83

$7.96 MX$147

-48.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 R$40.45

$12.57 MX$232

-36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 R$12.47

$2.78 MX$51.3

-11.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.96

$1.43 MX$26.37

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.96

$2.62 MX$48.37

-54.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.28

$2.14 MX$39.49

-32.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.02

$2.02 MX$37.38

-50.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.93

$1.99 MX$36.74

-51.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.19

$1.14 MX$21.01

-27.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.86

$1.20 MX$22.18

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R$14.97

$4.26 MX$78.7

-30.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.10 R$20.81

$10.02 MX$185

-59.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R$7.49

$1.54 MX$28.41

-3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R$9.92

$2.66 MX$49.17

-26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.29

$0.53 MX$9.73

96.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 R$220

$27.51 MX$508

57.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$5.98

$4.90 MX$90.6

-75.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.16

$3.43 MX$63.5

-70.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 R$51.8

$5.38 MX$99.4

89.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.93

$1.45 MX$26.76

-19.31%

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

$18.0K R$91.0K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-15.16%

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

$21.8K R$110.6K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-5.24%

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

$84.5 R$428

$85.4 MX$1,577

-0.97%

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

$7.82 R$39.65

$23.46 MX$434

-66.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.70 R$99.9

$28.43 MX$525

-30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 R$130

$62.2 MX$1,149

-58.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.96 R$142

$28.68 MX$530

-2.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.18 R$41.45

$5.10 MX$94.3

60.39%

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

$279 R$1,415

$201 MX$3,715

38.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.8K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

183.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 R$328

$44.39 MX$820

45.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 R$359

$41.35 MX$764

71.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R$573

$72.7 MX$1,344

55.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 R$349

$89.6 MX$1,656

-23.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,769

$979 MX$18.1K

-64.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 R$1,210

$373 MX$6,887

-35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 R$3,446

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-59.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 R$2,437

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-56.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,680 R$8,517

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-57.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,206 R$6,112

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-80.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.61

11.45

-7.34%

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

Last update for Contenda: October 17, 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

Contenda

$239 27%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 56.1% $134

Groceries & Markets

Contenda

$185 20.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 39.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Contenda

$143 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 21.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contenda

$112 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 22.5% $25

Eating Out

Contenda

$109 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 84.2% $91

Getting Around

Contenda

$54 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 4.1% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Contenda

$42 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 72.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Contenda versus $979 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Contenda versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $258 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contenda

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

2 h behind Contenda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,128

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 21, 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 21, 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

Contenda Playa del Carmen 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Contenda
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,325 per month in Contenda and $1,806 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 Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Contenda and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $883 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Contenda. 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.