Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joinville and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Joinville: $976 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Joinville
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Joinville Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Joinville

🇧🇷 Brazil

$976

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $976 per month in Joinville vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Joinville $976
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,496 per month in Joinville vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Joinville $1,496
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,016 per month in Joinville vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Joinville $2,016
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Joinville is about 19% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Joinville and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Joinville 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.73 R$41.57

$10.92 MX$206

-29.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.97 R$253

$43.37 MX$819

8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 R$35.45

$11.78 MX$223

-44.06%

Cappuccino

$1.85 R$9.96

$3.81 MX$72.0

-51.44%

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

$1.04 R$5.59

$1.28 MX$24.23

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 R$2.47

$0.78 MX$14.79

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 R$17.45

$3.17 MX$59.8

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$12.13

$4.93 MX$93.2

-54.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$5.09

$1.41 MX$26.57

-32.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 R$6.58

$2.22 MX$41.88

-45.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.19

$1.42 MX$26.78

-31.69%

Eggs

$2.74 R$14.72

$2.52 MX$47.66

8.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 R$42.45

$7.26 MX$137

8.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 R$16.50

$7.70 MX$145

-60.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 R$33.45

$12.69 MX$240

-50.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.20

$2.78 MX$52.6

-38.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.86

$1.37 MX$25.85

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.09

$2.55 MX$48.19

-48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.65

$2.12 MX$40.11

-24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.38

$1.94 MX$36.62

-38.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.35

$1.89 MX$35.63

-37.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 R$7.60

$1.15 MX$21.66

22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.97

$1.18 MX$22.27

-22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R$16.32

$4.30 MX$81.2

-29.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 R$46.50

$9.95 MX$188

-13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.54

$1.58 MX$29.91

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 R$15.55

$2.67 MX$50.5

8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.70

$0.55 MX$10.45

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 R$301

$26.62 MX$503

110.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 R$10.09

$4.97 MX$93.9

-62.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 R$7.79

$3.33 MX$62.9

-56.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 R$51.2

$5.36 MX$101

77.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.63

$1.44 MX$27.28

-14.58%

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

$22.0K R$118.5K

$20.7K MX$390.4K

6.58%

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

$32.0K R$172.0K

$23.5K MX$443.3K

36.20%

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

$55.6 R$299

$84.8 MX$1,602

-34.46%

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

$10.78 R$58.0

$23.41 MX$442

-53.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.35 R$104

$28.66 MX$541

-32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.09 R$135

$57.1 MX$1,078

-56.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.31 R$142

$28.91 MX$546

-8.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.03 R$43.19

$5.14 MX$97.1

56.23%

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

$294 R$1,584

$207 MX$3,903

42.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,147 R$33.1K

$3,927 MX$74.2K

56.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.66 R$235

$43.35 MX$819

0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.2 R$459

$41.44 MX$783

105.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 R$461

$74.2 MX$1,402

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.8 R$349

$89.3 MX$1,686

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 R$2,062

$980 MX$18.5K

-60.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,879

$381 MX$7,195

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 R$5,366

$1,708 MX$32.3K

-41.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,689

$1,075 MX$20.3K

-53.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,845 R$9,931

$3,943 MX$74.5K

-53.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 R$6,788

$6,158 MX$116.3K

-79.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 R$3,522

$735 MX$13.9K

-10.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.45

-8.30%

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

Last update for Joinville: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joinville

$349 35.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 9.1% $32

Groceries & Markets

Joinville

$173 17.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 46.9% $81

Eating Out

Joinville

$131 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 55.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Joinville

$126 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joinville

$86 8.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.7% $51

Getting Around

Joinville

$70 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 28% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Joinville

$41 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 63.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $383 in Joinville 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 12% 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 $47 in Joinville versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $173 in Joinville vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Joinville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Joinville

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

2 h behind Joinville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

616,317

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 EUR

100 MXN = 5.29 USD

100 MXN = 4.73 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.89 MXN (100 MXN = 5.29 USD). 1 EUR = 21.16 MXN (100 MXN = 4.73 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Joinville Playa del Carmen 6,650 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Joinville
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Joinville, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,463 per month in Joinville 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 Joinville, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Joinville and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $976 in Joinville and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $976 in Joinville to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Joinville. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.