Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $822 in Cuiaba versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Cuiaba versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Cuiaba versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuiaba costs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuiaba 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 R$18.08

$11.99 MX$210

-70.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.72 R$90.6

$41.78 MX$733

-57.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 R$32.13

$10.75 MX$189

-41.49%

Cappuccino

$1.53 R$7.84

$3.50 MX$61.3

-56.29%

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

$0.93 R$4.76

$1.45 MX$25.41

-35.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.17

$0.88 MX$15.52

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 R$6.29

$2.95 MX$51.7

-58.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R$10.95

$4.51 MX$79.1

-52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.21

$1.43 MX$25.12

-28.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.77

$1.84 MX$32.23

-17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.84

$1.57 MX$27.51

10.19%

Eggs

$3.23 R$16.53

$2.51 MX$44.06

28.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 R$57.6

$8.28 MX$145

36.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 R$21.93

$8.43 MX$148

-49.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 R$52.0

$10.68 MX$187

-4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.60

$2.61 MX$45.76

-20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.07

$1.44 MX$25.22

22.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.95

$1.96 MX$34.41

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 R$12.05

$2.09 MX$36.74

12.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.57

$1.85 MX$32.47

11.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.86

$2.17 MX$38.02

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.62

$1.03 MX$18.09

-31.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.33

$1.07 MX$18.84

15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$11.07

$4.10 MX$72.0

-47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 R$50.7

$10.17 MX$178

-2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R$9.01

$1.68 MX$29.38

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R$11.22

$2.53 MX$44.31

-13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.77

$0.51 MX$8.93

82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.98 R$194

$26.04 MX$457

45.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.42

$3.23 MX$56.7

-67.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.68

$2.41 MX$42.19

-70.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 R$32.40

$3.23 MX$56.6

96.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.42

$1.32 MX$23.17

-19.70%

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

$20.8K R$106.5K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-29.83%

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

$27.8K R$142.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

17.68%

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

$61.1 R$312

$82.0 MX$1,439

-25.51%

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

$18.59 R$95.0

$22.95 MX$403

-19.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.88 R$122

$30.11 MX$528

-20.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.89 R$117

$52.0 MX$912

-55.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 R$101

$18.53 MX$325

6.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 R$23.31

$4.98 MX$87.3

-8.43%

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

$246 R$1,259

$197 MX$3,463

24.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,128 R$26.2K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-3.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 R$256

$35.60 MX$624

40.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 R$226

$40.33 MX$707

9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 R$694

$78.8 MX$1,381

72.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 R$317

$88.9 MX$1,560

-30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,426

$947 MX$16.6K

-70.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 R$972

$474 MX$8,314

-59.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 R$2,893

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-65.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 R$1,597

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-74.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,278 R$6,533

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-68.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R$3,911

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-88.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 R$2,160

$654 MX$11.5K

-35.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

11.42

62.00%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Cuiaba and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Cuiaba vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $249 per month, with Cuiaba 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

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

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 55% 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: $279 in Cuiaba versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $822 per month in Cuiaba versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $822 in Cuiaba versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $822 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.