Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Duque de Caxias: $806 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Duque de Caxias
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Duque de Caxias Living Index
59

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

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Duque de Caxias

🇧🇷 Brazil

$806

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $806 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duque de Caxias $806
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duque de Caxias $1,390
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,974 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duque de Caxias $1,974
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Duque de Caxias is about 33% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Duque de Caxias and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Duque de Caxias 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.07 R$35.82

$10.86 MX$201

-34.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.30 R$199

$44.21 MX$817

-11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 R$41.90

$11.76 MX$217

-29.76%

Cappuccino

$2.26 R$11.44

$3.68 MX$68.0

-38.59%

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

$1.52 R$7.70

$1.34 MX$24.79

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.82 MX$15.24

26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 R$10.99

$3.06 MX$56.6

-29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$18.16

$4.94 MX$91.2

-27.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R$5.96

$1.47 MX$27.17

-19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 R$10.46

$2.22 MX$40.95

-7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.76

$1.48 MX$27.32

-22.97%

Eggs

$2.24 R$11.37

$2.49 MX$45.99

-10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R$45.91

$7.52 MX$139

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 R$22.87

$7.96 MX$147

-43.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 R$50.6

$12.57 MX$232

-20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.37

$2.78 MX$51.3

1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 R$8.94

$1.43 MX$26.37

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.00

$2.62 MX$48.37

-39.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.07

$2.14 MX$39.49

-16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.06

$2.02 MX$37.38

-40.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.38

$1.99 MX$36.74

-46.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.85

$1.14 MX$21.01

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.25

$1.20 MX$22.18

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 R$14.32

$4.26 MX$78.7

-33.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 R$41.07

$10.02 MX$185

-19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.96

$1.54 MX$28.41

-23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R$12.61

$2.66 MX$49.17

-6.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.97

$0.53 MX$9.73

84.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.44 R$220

$27.51 MX$508

57.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.43

$4.90 MX$90.6

-74.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 R$7.14

$3.43 MX$63.5

-58.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 R$46.81

$5.38 MX$99.4

71.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.45 MX$26.76

-13.10%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

10.78%

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

$34.1K R$172.8K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

48.10%

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

$42.43 R$215

$85.4 MX$1,577

-50.29%

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

$10.65 R$54.0

$23.46 MX$434

-54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.29 R$92.7

$28.43 MX$525

-35.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.58 R$130

$62.2 MX$1,149

-58.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.88 R$141

$28.68 MX$530

-2.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 R$40.12

$5.10 MX$94.3

55.10%

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

$424 R$2,150

$201 MX$3,715

110.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,540 R$38.2K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

91.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.79 R$212

$44.39 MX$820

-5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.66 R$252

$41.35 MX$764

20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 R$485

$72.7 MX$1,344

31.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 R$433

$89.6 MX$1,656

-4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 R$1,505

$979 MX$18.1K

-69.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 R$857

$373 MX$6,887

-54.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 R$4,000

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-53.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 R$2,248

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-59.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,286 R$6,519

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-67.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$570 R$2,891

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-90.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 R$1,530

$738 MX$13.6K

-59.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

11.45

-2.88%

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

Last update for Duque de Caxias: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duque de Caxias

$209 25.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 23.6% $49

Accommodation & Living

Duque de Caxias

$169 21%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 120% $204

Eating Out

Duque de Caxias

$137 17%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 46.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Duque de Caxias

$123 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duque de Caxias

$71 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 92.3% $66

Getting Around

Duque de Caxias

$56 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 7.1% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Duque de Caxias

$41 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 74.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Duque de Caxias 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.

Salaries run about 144% 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 Duque de Caxias versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $258 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Duque de Caxias

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

2 h behind Duque de Caxias

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

808,161

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 22, 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 22, 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

Duque de Caxias Playa del Carmen 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Duque de Caxias
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Duque de Caxias, 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 $1,209 per month in Duque de Caxias 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 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 24% 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 $39.00 in Duque de Caxias and $44.00 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 $806, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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 $806 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 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.