Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Manaus: $931 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Manaus
Learn more

Manaus Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Manaus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $931 in Manaus versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Manaus $931
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Manaus versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Manaus $1,368
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,806 in Manaus versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Manaus $1,806
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Manaus costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manaus 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 R$30.91

$10.92 MX$205

-47.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.62 R$138

$43.37 MX$815

-40.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 R$34.83

$11.78 MX$221

-45.08%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.81

$3.81 MX$71.6

-42.52%

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

$0.99 R$5.33

$1.28 MX$24.10

-22.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.94

$0.78 MX$14.71

-6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 R$13.69

$3.17 MX$59.5

-19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 R$27.16

$4.93 MX$92.7

2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R$7.09

$1.41 MX$26.43

-6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 R$8.29

$2.22 MX$41.66

-30.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.11

$1.42 MX$26.64

-19.72%

Eggs

$2.46 R$13.25

$2.52 MX$47.41

-2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 R$49.19

$7.26 MX$137

25.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 R$20.53

$7.70 MX$145

-50.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 R$36.04

$12.69 MX$239

-47.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 R$12.02

$2.78 MX$52.3

-19.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R$8.27

$1.37 MX$25.71

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.42

$2.55 MX$47.94

-45.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.89

$2.12 MX$39.90

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.05

$1.94 MX$36.43

-42.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.19

$1.89 MX$35.44

-39.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$4.06

$1.15 MX$21.55

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.36

$1.18 MX$22.16

-47.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 R$18.06

$4.30 MX$80.7

-21.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 R$45.54

$9.95 MX$187

-14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.61

$1.58 MX$29.76

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 R$8.40

$2.67 MX$50.2

-41.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.76

$0.55 MX$10.40

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.80 R$198

$26.62 MX$500

38.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 R$4.94

$4.97 MX$93.4

-81.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R$4.66

$3.33 MX$62.6

-73.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.99 R$48.39

$5.36 MX$101

67.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.63

$1.44 MX$27.14

-14.58%

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

$21.6K R$116.4K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

4.69%

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

$32.4K R$174.3K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

38.05%

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

$112 R$601

$84.8 MX$1,594

31.73%

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

$14.44 R$77.7

$23.41 MX$440

-38.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 R$128

$28.66 MX$539

-16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$138

$57.1 MX$1,072

-54.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 R$127

$28.91 MX$543

-18.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 R$34.47

$5.14 MX$96.6

24.71%

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

$212 R$1,140

$207 MX$3,882

2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,775 R$25.7K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

21.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.41 R$255

$43.35 MX$815

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.69 R$160

$41.44 MX$779

-28.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 R$303

$74.2 MX$1,394

-24.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.9 R$344

$89.3 MX$1,677

-28.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 R$4,021

$980 MX$18.4K

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 R$1,607

$381 MX$7,157

-21.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 R$6,035

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 R$2,428

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-58.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,543 R$8,302

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-60.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,257 R$6,767

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-79.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 R$2,641

$735 MX$13.8K

-33.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

11.45

-9.78%

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

Last update for Manaus: October 26, 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

Manaus

$299 32.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 27.5% $82

Groceries & Markets

Manaus

$188 20.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 35.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manaus

$150 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 8.8% $13

Eating Out

Manaus

$121 13%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 66.7% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Manaus

$89 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 25.8% $23

Getting Around

Manaus

$46 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 10.7% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Manaus

$38 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 74.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $747 in Manaus and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manaus vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $255 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Manaus

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h behind Manaus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,063,689

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manaus Playa del Carmen 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Manaus
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

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

Manaus is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Manaus. 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: $747 in Manaus versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $26 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Manaus wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.