Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petropolis and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Petropolis: $1,011 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Petropolis
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Petropolis Living Index
59

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

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Petropolis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,011

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Petropolis versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Petropolis $1,011
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,516 in Petropolis versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Petropolis $1,516
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,021 in Petropolis versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Petropolis $2,021
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Petropolis costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petropolis 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 R$30.78

$10.86 MX$201

-44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.83 R$146

$44.21 MX$817

-34.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$35.02

$11.76 MX$217

-41.24%

Cappuccino

$1.70 R$8.64

$3.68 MX$68.0

-53.80%

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

$1.31 R$6.66

$1.34 MX$24.79

-2.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.93

$0.82 MX$15.24

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 R$6.15

$3.06 MX$56.6

-60.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 R$23.79

$4.94 MX$91.2

-5.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.70

$1.47 MX$27.17

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.69

$2.22 MX$40.95

-31.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.24

$1.48 MX$27.32

-3.38%

Eggs

$2.04 R$10.32

$2.49 MX$45.99

-18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 R$46.60

$7.52 MX$139

22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 R$21.93

$7.96 MX$147

-45.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 R$48.50

$12.57 MX$232

-23.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.33

$2.78 MX$51.3

-41.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.83

$1.43 MX$26.37

-19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.94

$2.62 MX$48.37

-62.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.11

$2.14 MX$39.49

-43.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 R$3.31

$2.02 MX$37.38

-67.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.40

$1.99 MX$36.74

-56.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 R$2.92

$1.14 MX$21.01

-49.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.10

$1.20 MX$22.18

-49.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 R$10.96

$4.26 MX$78.7

-49.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 R$29.79

$10.02 MX$185

-41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.27

$1.54 MX$28.41

-32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 R$7.21

$2.66 MX$49.17

-46.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.24

$0.53 MX$9.73

94.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.31 R$250

$27.51 MX$508

79.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R$5.82

$4.90 MX$90.6

-76.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.15

$3.43 MX$63.5

-70.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.01 R$40.60

$5.38 MX$99.4

48.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.45 MX$26.76

-14.48%

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

$20.9K R$105.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-1.38%

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

$31.2K R$158.3K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

35.68%

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

$70.9 R$359

$85.4 MX$1,577

-16.96%

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

$9.78 R$49.60

$23.46 MX$434

-58.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.71 R$94.9

$28.43 MX$525

-34.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 R$162

$62.2 MX$1,149

-48.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.15 R$163

$28.68 MX$530

12.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R$36.02

$5.10 MX$94.3

39.22%

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

$362 R$1,836

$201 MX$3,715

80.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K R$56.1K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

180.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 R$280

$44.39 MX$820

24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.65 R$252

$41.35 MX$764

20.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 R$447

$72.7 MX$1,344

21.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 R$350

$89.6 MX$1,656

-22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,671

$979 MX$18.1K

-46.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R$2,033

$373 MX$6,887

7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 R$4,241

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 R$3,194

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-42.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,748 R$13.9K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-30.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,985 R$10.1K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-67.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,110

$738 MX$13.6K

-16.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

11.45

3.67%

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

Last update for Petropolis: October 18, 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

Petropolis

$401 39.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 7.1% $28

Groceries & Markets

Petropolis

$174 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 48.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Petropolis

$118 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 5.3% $6.3

Eating Out

Petropolis

$113 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 77.6% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petropolis

$99 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 38.1% $38

Getting Around

Petropolis

$60 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 13.4% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Petropolis

$46 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 56.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $527 in Petropolis and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 20% 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 Petropolis vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $258 per month, with Petropolis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Petropolis

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

2 h behind Petropolis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,881

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 22, 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 22, 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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Between locations

Petropolis Playa del Carmen 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Petropolis
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

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

Petropolis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $527 in Petropolis versus $979 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Petropolis – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Petropolis versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Petropolis 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 Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.