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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $802 per month in Guarulhos vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,298 per month in Guarulhos vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,793 per month in Guarulhos vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

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

Both Guarulhos and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Guarulhos 40% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 R$35.80

$11.73 MX$203

-39.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.78 R$164

$41.62 MX$720

-21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$34.56

$10.64 MX$184

-35.06%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R$8.69

$3.52 MX$60.9

-50.57%

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

$1.21 R$6.08

$1.51 MX$26.12

-19.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.43

$0.97 MX$16.84

-8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.69

$2.95 MX$51.0

-27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 R$14.25

$4.45 MX$77.0

-35.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.10

$1.38 MX$23.93

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 R$8.76

$1.89 MX$32.72

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.75

$1.64 MX$28.32

-29.88%

Eggs

$2.40 R$12.03

$2.51 MX$43.34

-4.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 R$51.7

$8.34 MX$144

23.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 R$20.06

$8.34 MX$144

-51.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 R$41.90

$10.73 MX$186

-21.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R$10.73

$2.60 MX$45.04

-17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.28

$1.46 MX$25.20

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 R$6.93

$1.90 MX$32.87

-26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.40

$2.08 MX$35.91

-19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.87

$1.78 MX$30.71

-23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.46

$2.19 MX$37.80

-41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.68

$1.04 MX$17.99

-10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.45

$1.08 MX$18.62

-36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 R$10.52

$4.08 MX$70.6

-48.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 R$49.79

$10.32 MX$178

-3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.50

$1.71 MX$29.61

-23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$11.11

$2.58 MX$44.54

-13.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 R$5.12

$0.51 MX$8.81

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 R$190

$26.46 MX$458

43.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.28

$3.26 MX$56.4

-67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R$3.14

$2.49 MX$43.09

-74.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 R$38.68

$3.25 MX$56.2

137.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.31

$1.31 MX$22.61

-19.08%

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

$21.5K R$107.5K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-29.08%

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

$28.1K R$140.6K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

19.91%

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

$52.3 R$262

$82.9 MX$1,433

-36.90%

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

$13.10 R$65.6

$22.22 MX$384

-41.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.90 R$99.6

$29.34 MX$507

-32.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.02 R$70.1

$51.6 MX$893

-72.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.73 R$109

$18.32 MX$317

18.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 R$35.19

$5.07 MX$87.6

38.66%

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

$333 R$1,665

$201 MX$3,473

65.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,817 R$44.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

69.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 R$260

$36.92 MX$639

40.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.18 R$211

$39.79 MX$688

6.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 R$375

$78.5 MX$1,357

-4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 R$368

$87.1 MX$1,506

-15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 R$1,585

$973 MX$16.8K

-67.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 R$1,080

$468 MX$8,090

-53.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 R$2,955

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-64.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,135

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-65.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,938 R$9,699

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-50.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 R$6,632

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-79.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$368 R$1,842

$664 MX$11.5K

-44.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

11.42

-2.19%

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

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $317 in Guarulhos versus $973 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 80% 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 $33.00 in Guarulhos versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $249 – making Guarulhos 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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% more than Guarulhos, 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 $1,203 per month in Guarulhos and $1,945 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 Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Guarulhos and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $802 in Guarulhos and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Guarulhos 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. Guarulhos costs $802 versus $1,297 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 Guarulhos. 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.