Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mindelo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $387 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$387

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $387 per month in Mindelo vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mindelo $387
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $897 per month in Mindelo vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mindelo $897
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,406 per month in Mindelo vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mindelo $1,406
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Mindelo is about 68% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mindelo and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Mindelo 72% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 CVE 873

$10.92 MX$204

-19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 CVE 5,622

$43.37 MX$808

31.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$1.11 CVE 109

$3.81 MX$71.0

-70.87%

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

$1.26 CVE 124

$1.28 MX$23.90

-1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CVE 102

$0.78 MX$14.59

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 CVE 270

$3.17 MX$59.0

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 CVE 147

$4.93 MX$92.0

-69.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CVE 142

$1.41 MX$26.22

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 CVE 109

$2.22 MX$41.33

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 CVE 78.5

$1.42 MX$26.42

-44.37%

Eggs

$2.52 CVE 249

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.86 CVE 1,569

$7.26 MX$135

118.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 CVE 1,741

$12.69 MX$237

38.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 CVE 220

$2.78 MX$51.9

-19.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CVE 193

$1.37 MX$25.50

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 CVE 289

$2.55 MX$47.55

14.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 CVE 295

$2.12 MX$39.58

41.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 CVE 76.2

$1.94 MX$36.13

-60.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 CVE 162

$1.89 MX$35.16

-13.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 CVE 102

$1.15 MX$21.37

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 CVE 70.2

$1.18 MX$21.98

-39.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 CVE 498

$4.30 MX$80.1

17.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 CVE 801

$9.95 MX$185

-18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CVE 187

$1.58 MX$29.52

19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CVE 202

$2.67 MX$49.79

-23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 CVE 40.41

$0.55 MX$10.31

-25.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.74 CVE 3,039

$26.62 MX$496

15.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 CVE 149

$4.97 MX$92.6

-69.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CVE 146

$3.33 MX$62.1

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 CVE 1,007

$5.36 MX$99.8

89.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 CVE 173

$1.44 MX$26.92

21.53%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.01 CVE 298

$28.91 MX$539

-89.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 CVE 35.7K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-78.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 CVE 24.9K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-76.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Mindelo: 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

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Mindelo

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Mindelo versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Mindelo vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Mindelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

17:55 5:55 PM

4 h behind Mindelo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.11 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.08 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 98.88 CVE (100 CVE = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.08 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CVE in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mindelo Playa del Carmen 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mindelo
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 211%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $581 per month in Mindelo and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $387 in Mindelo to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.