Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $887 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$887

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Macaé versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Macaé $887
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,495 in Macaé versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Macaé $1,495
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,102 in Macaé versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Macaé $2,102
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Macaé costs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Macaé 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 R$27.54

$10.86 MX$201

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 R$151

$44.21 MX$817

-32.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$35.00

$11.76 MX$217

-41.24%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$8.73

$3.68 MX$68.0

-53.26%

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

$1.39 R$7.04

$1.34 MX$24.79

3.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.18

$0.82 MX$15.24

-23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 R$6.16

$3.06 MX$56.6

-60.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 R$14.16

$4.94 MX$91.2

-43.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 R$4.85

$1.47 MX$27.17

-34.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$7.91

$2.22 MX$40.95

-29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.99

$1.48 MX$27.32

-6.76%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.85

$2.49 MX$45.99

-22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 R$46.21

$7.52 MX$139

21.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 R$16.92

$7.96 MX$147

-58.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 R$49.10

$12.57 MX$232

-22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 R$9.40

$2.78 MX$51.3

-33.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.11

$1.43 MX$26.37

-16.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.85

$2.62 MX$48.37

-63.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.21

$2.14 MX$39.49

-42.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.23

$2.02 MX$37.38

-68.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.99 MX$36.74

-59.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 R$2.73

$1.14 MX$21.01

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 R$2.64

$1.20 MX$22.18

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 R$7.88

$4.26 MX$78.7

-63.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R$30.86

$10.02 MX$185

-39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.82

$1.54 MX$28.41

-38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 R$6.35

$2.66 MX$49.17

-53.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R$8.16

$0.53 MX$9.73

203.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 R$425

$27.51 MX$508

205.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 R$7.14

$4.90 MX$90.6

-71.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.03

$3.43 MX$63.5

-76.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 R$40.16

$5.38 MX$99.4

47.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.45 MX$26.76

-11.03%

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

$21.5K R$109.0K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

1.64%

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

$31.2K R$158.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

35.54%

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

$100.0 R$507

$85.4 MX$1,577

17.09%

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

$10.21 R$51.7

$23.46 MX$434

-56.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 R$95.1

$28.43 MX$525

-34.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 R$202

$62.2 MX$1,149

-35.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.04 R$173

$28.68 MX$530

18.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 R$34.44

$5.10 MX$94.3

33.14%

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

$648 R$3,283

$201 MX$3,715

222.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,012 R$35.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

77.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 R$320

$44.39 MX$820

42.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 R$162

$41.35 MX$764

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 R$339

$72.7 MX$1,344

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.66 R$237

$89.6 MX$1,656

-47.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 R$1,873

$979 MX$18.1K

-62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 R$1,221

$373 MX$6,887

-35.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 R$4,490

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R$3,392

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-38.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,270 R$6,436

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-67.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R$4,054

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-86.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 R$4,049

$738 MX$13.6K

8.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.45

-6.81%

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

Last update for Macaé: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macaé

$241 27.2%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 54.7% $132

Groceries & Markets

Macaé

$169 19.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 52.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macaé

$129 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 6.5% $8.3

Eating Out

Macaé

$105 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 91.5% $96

Getting Around

Macaé

$96 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 46% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Macaé

$94 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Macaé

$53 6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 35.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Macaé and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Macaé vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $258 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Macaé

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

2 h behind Macaé

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,391

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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Macaé Playa del Carmen 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Macaé
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

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

Macaé and Playa del Carmen differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($887 vs $1,204 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Macaé, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $370 in Macaé versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $887 per month in Macaé versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Macaé versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.