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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Jacareí versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,295 in Jacareí versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Jacareí versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Jacareí costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jacareí 40% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 R$31.62

$11.87 MX$204

-47.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.01 R$162

$42.90 MX$736

-25.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 R$33.75

$10.65 MX$183

-37.37%

Cappuccino

$1.73 R$8.74

$3.45 MX$59.2

-49.86%

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

$1.38 R$6.98

$1.50 MX$25.81

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.15

$0.95 MX$16.28

-13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.95

$3.03 MX$51.9

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 R$13.74

$4.61 MX$79.1

-41.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.71

$1.38 MX$23.61

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.85 MX$31.70

-17.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.61 MX$27.65

-26.09%

Eggs

$2.38 R$12.05

$2.59 MX$44.51

-8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 R$40.59

$8.26 MX$142

-2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.04

$8.37 MX$144

-55.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 R$43.73

$10.66 MX$183

-18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R$10.66

$2.63 MX$45.12

-19.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.10

$1.49 MX$25.53

20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.96

$1.92 MX$32.94

-28.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.07

$2.09 MX$35.81

-23.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.86 MX$31.88

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.68

$2.26 MX$38.81

-50.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.72

$1.06 MX$18.23

-30.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.29

$1.09 MX$18.67

-40.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 R$9.00

$4.15 MX$71.2

-57.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 R$38.67

$10.39 MX$178

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.94

$1.72 MX$29.59

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R$10.14

$2.61 MX$44.85

-23.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.39

$0.54 MX$9.30

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.90 R$197

$26.94 MX$462

44.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.71

$3.13 MX$53.7

-70.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 R$2.96

$2.51 MX$43.09

-76.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 R$38.84

$3.15 MX$54.1

143.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.07

$1.27 MX$21.88

-21.26%

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

$22.5K R$114.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-25.82%

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

$28.5K R$144.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

21.11%

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

$47.93 R$243

$83.0 MX$1,425

-42.25%

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

$14.99 R$75.9

$22.71 MX$390

-33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.96 R$111

$29.46 MX$506

-25.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.38 R$113

$51.0 MX$875

-56.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.44 R$109

$18.33 MX$315

16.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 R$27.95

$4.93 MX$84.5

11.97%

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

$309 R$1,564

$197 MX$3,386

56.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,760 R$34.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

28.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 R$277

$36.90 MX$633

48.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 R$262

$39.89 MX$685

29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 R$377

$80.0 MX$1,373

-7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 R$362

$89.5 MX$1,536

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 R$1,612

$956 MX$16.4K

-66.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,115

$477 MX$8,189

-53.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 R$2,998

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-64.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 R$2,181

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-64.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,593 R$8,063

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-59.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 R$5,849

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-82.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Jacareí: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $318 in Jacareí and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Jacareí vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $250 per month, with Jacareí 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

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

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,201 in Jacareí and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $318 in Jacareí versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Jacareí versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $801 in Jacareí versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $801 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jacareí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.