Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilheus and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilheus: $786 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Ilheus
Learn more

Ilheus Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Ilheus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$786

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $786 per month in Ilheus vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ilheus $786
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,283 per month in Ilheus vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ilheus $1,283
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in Ilheus vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ilheus $1,779
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Ilheus is about 35% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ilheus and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ilheus 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.91 R$20.92

$10.92 MX$204

-64.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.88 R$160

$43.37 MX$810

-31.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 R$39.96

$11.78 MX$220

-36.59%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$9.93

$3.81 MX$71.2

-51.18%

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

$1.16 R$6.19

$1.28 MX$23.96

-9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.47

$0.78 MX$14.63

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 R$9.26

$3.17 MX$59.2

-45.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 R$16.89

$4.93 MX$92.2

-35.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.61

$1.41 MX$26.28

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.61

$2.22 MX$41.43

-27.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.52

$1.42 MX$26.48

-14.08%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.72

$2.52 MX$47.14

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 R$96.2

$7.26 MX$136

147.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 R$21.00

$7.70 MX$144

-49.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 R$39.44

$12.69 MX$237

-41.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 R$11.25

$2.78 MX$52.0

-24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.31

$1.37 MX$25.56

-13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$2.55 MX$47.66

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.01

$2.12 MX$39.67

-29.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.33

$1.94 MX$36.22

-39.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$1.89 MX$35.24

-47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$4.10

$1.15 MX$21.42

-33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.46

$1.18 MX$22.03

-44.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 R$12.29

$4.30 MX$80.3

-46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 R$37.23

$9.95 MX$186

-30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.90

$1.58 MX$29.59

-30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R$10.52

$2.67 MX$49.91

-26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$5.07

$0.55 MX$10.34

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.11 R$220

$26.62 MX$497

54.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 R$5.80

$4.97 MX$92.9

-78.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$5.02

$3.33 MX$62.2

-71.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 R$36.26

$5.36 MX$100

26.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 R$6.07

$1.44 MX$26.98

-21.53%

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

$20.8K R$111.3K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

0.65%

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

$32.7K R$174.9K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

39.27%

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

$70.8 R$379

$84.8 MX$1,584

-16.50%

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

$11.71 R$62.7

$23.41 MX$437

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.59 R$105

$28.66 MX$535

-31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.68 R$132

$57.1 MX$1,066

-56.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.71 R$127

$28.91 MX$540

-17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 R$34.76

$5.14 MX$96.0

26.46%

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

$273 R$1,461

$207 MX$3,860

32.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,926 R$37.1K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

76.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R$274

$43.35 MX$810

18.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 R$219

$41.44 MX$774

-1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 R$465

$74.2 MX$1,386

16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 R$344

$89.3 MX$1,668

-27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 R$1,119

$980 MX$18.3K

-78.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 R$980

$381 MX$7,116

-51.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 R$2,836

$1,708 MX$31.9K

-68.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R$2,180

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-62.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,468 R$7,858

$3,943 MX$73.7K

-62.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,234 R$6,606

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-79.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 R$3,021

$735 MX$13.7K

-23.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Ilheus: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ilheus

$204 26%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 24.6% $50

Accommodation & Living

Ilheus

$183 23.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 108% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Ilheus

$109 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.1% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilheus

$102 13%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 34% $35

Eating Out

Ilheus

$99 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 105% $103

Getting Around

Ilheus

$51 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 0.4% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ilheus

$38 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 78.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Ilheus versus $980 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 30% 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 $30 in Ilheus versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $255 – making Ilheus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Ilheus

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

2 h behind Ilheus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,649

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ilheus Playa del Carmen 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilheus
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $786 in Ilheus, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,180 per month in Ilheus 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 Ilheus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 $30 in Ilheus and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ilheus, where all-in costs run around $786, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ilheus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $786 in Ilheus to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ilheus. 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.