Cost of Living Comparison Between Maceio - Alagoas and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Maceio - Alagoas and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,722 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Maceio - Alagoas 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 R$29.85

$11.71 MX$198

-50.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.52 R$145

$46.59 MX$788

-38.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 R$29.23

$11.65 MX$197

-50.82%

Cappuccino

$1.70 R$8.67

$4.09 MX$69.2

-58.44%

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

$1.07 R$5.46

$1.37 MX$23.23

-21.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 R$2.37

$0.83 MX$14.09

-43.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 R$8.04

$3.35 MX$56.7

-52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 R$20.05

$6.91 MX$117

-43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.56

$1.73 MX$29.20

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 R$9.80

$2.26 MX$38.21

-15.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.20

$1.77 MX$29.91

-42.37%

Eggs

$1.88 R$9.60

$2.73 MX$46.19

-31.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 R$46.02

$9.18 MX$155

-1.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R$22.91

$8.92 MX$151

-49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R$36.93

$12.60 MX$213

-42.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 R$14.07

$3.02 MX$51.1

-8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.56

$1.57 MX$26.55

-30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.63

$2.13 MX$35.93

-38.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.41

$2.26 MX$38.28

-44.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.96

$2.00 MX$33.88

-31.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.52

$2.06 MX$34.90

-37.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.90

$1.18 MX$19.94

-51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.01

$1.20 MX$20.35

-34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 R$10.38

$4.63 MX$78.4

-56.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 R$35.39

$10.69 MX$181

-35.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 R$7.60

$1.62 MX$27.38

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.40

$2.88 MX$48.70

-49.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 R$3.80

$0.57 MX$9.69

29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R$2.08

$5.45 MX$92.1

-92.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 R$1.93

$3.70 MX$62.6

-89.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.96

$1.55 MX$26.26

-24.52%

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

$21.2K R$107.9K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

-5.20%

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

$29.9K R$152.6K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

15.28%

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

$78.1 R$398

$89.1 MX$1,507

-12.43%

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

$15.76 R$80.4

$25.04 MX$423

-37.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.30 R$88.2

$31.50 MX$532

-45.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.73 R$121

$67.8 MX$1,146

-64.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 R$29.18

$5.05 MX$85.4

13.27%

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

$212 R$1,084

$225 MX$3,803

-5.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,070 R$36.1K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

67.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$268

$47.44 MX$802

10.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.1 R$383

$44.98 MX$760

66.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 R$475

$82.0 MX$1,386

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 R$399

$92.1 MX$1,557

-14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 R$1,448

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,210

$405 MX$6,852

-41.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 R$2,415

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 R$2,378

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-64.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,494 R$7,617

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-62.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 R$3,380

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-90.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 R$2,961

$749 MX$12.7K

-22.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.45

-11.18%

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

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Maceio - Alagoas and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Maceio - Alagoas vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $277 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas 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

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

Maceio - Alagoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $284 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $809 per month in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maceio - Alagoas is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.