Cost of Living Comparison Between Duque de Caxias and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Duque de Caxias and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $776 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,249 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $2,177 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,722 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $3,095 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duque de Caxias is about 38% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Duque de Caxias and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Duque de Caxias 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 R$32.38

$11.95 MX$208

-46.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.57 R$155

$41.94 MX$730

-27.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 R$34.41

$10.42 MX$181

-34.74%

Cappuccino

$1.87 R$9.48

$3.51 MX$61.2

-46.72%

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

$1.32 R$6.69

$1.52 MX$26.39

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.30

$0.91 MX$15.84

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.01

$3.04 MX$52.9

-41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 R$12.01

$4.37 MX$76.1

-45.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.45

$1.42 MX$24.73

-23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 R$7.35

$1.83 MX$31.87

-20.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.63 MX$28.45

-23.31%

Eggs

$1.83 R$9.25

$2.54 MX$44.20

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R$42.35

$8.57 MX$149

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 R$18.74

$8.49 MX$148

-56.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 R$38.65

$10.80 MX$188

-29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$11.53

$2.75 MX$47.94

-17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.53

$1.44 MX$25.00

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.08

$1.89 MX$32.83

-25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.66

$2.17 MX$37.77

-30.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.26

$1.78 MX$30.97

-30.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.10

$2.22 MX$38.71

-54.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$2.97

$1.07 MX$18.60

-44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.31

$1.08 MX$18.79

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 R$13.52

$4.15 MX$72.2

-35.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 R$40.46

$10.45 MX$182

-23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.35

$1.74 MX$30.34

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$13.12

$2.58 MX$44.92

0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.76

$0.51 MX$8.94

84.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.50 R$195

$25.94 MX$451

48.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.73

$3.21 MX$55.9

-71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.38

$2.50 MX$43.55

-73.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 R$35.76

$3.19 MX$55.4

121.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.34

$1.26 MX$21.87

-15.87%

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

$13.3K R$67.2K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

-55.27%

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

$17.5K R$88.4K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

-26.20%

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

$46.90 R$237

$82.0 MX$1,427

-42.83%

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

$15.02 R$76.0

$22.73 MX$395

-33.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.64 R$94.3

$29.42 MX$512

-36.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.76 R$115

$52.2 MX$908

-56.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.01 R$111

$18.45 MX$321

19.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 R$27.79

$4.93 MX$85.9

11.36%

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

$320 R$1,620

$202 MX$3,511

58.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,864 R$34.7K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

31.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 R$292

$35.93 MX$625

60.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.49 R$180

$40.33 MX$702

-12.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 R$425

$79.9 MX$1,390

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 R$363

$89.3 MX$1,554

-19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,574

$948 MX$16.5K

-67.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,101

$465 MX$8,097

-53.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 R$2,964

$1,630 MX$28.4K

-64.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,160

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-64.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,290 R$6,527

$3,933 MX$68.4K

-67.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$564 R$2,853

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-91.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$293 R$1,481

$658 MX$11.5K

-55.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.42

-4.38%

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

Last update for Duque de Caxias: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $311 in Duque de Caxias versus $948 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 125% 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 $31.00 in Duque de Caxias versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $252 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Duque de Caxias vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% more than Duque de Caxias, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,163 per month in Duque de Caxias and $1,888 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 Duque de Caxias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Duque de Caxias and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Duque de Caxias, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Duque de Caxias 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. Duque de Caxias costs $776 versus $1,259 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 Duque de Caxias. 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.