Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Beira

For one person, living is cheaper in Beira: $382 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Beira
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$382
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Beira

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Beira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $382 in Beira.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Beira $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $726 in Beira.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Beira $726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,071 in Beira.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Beira $1,071

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 217% more expensive than in Beira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Beira 72% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$12.50 MZN 791
-13.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$46.40 MZN 2,935
-7.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$3.11 MZN 197
24.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$1.19 MZN 75.2
15.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$1.15 MZN 72.8
-26.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$1.30 MZN 82.0
138.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$1.99 MZN 126
154.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.63 MZN 103
-11.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$0.30 MZN 18.76
643.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.51 MZN 95.8
-2.65%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$1.87 MZN 118
35.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$3.80 MZN 240
106.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$4.59 MZN 291
178.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$2.31 MZN 146
25.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$2.32 MZN 147
-37.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$2.32 MZN 146
9.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$1.24 MZN 78.4
66.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.22 MZN 77.3
63.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$0.99 MZN 62.4
103.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$2.32 MZN 147
-48.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.71 MZN 45.10
77.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$0.96 MZN 60.7
358.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$8.33 MZN 527
15.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.04 MZN 65.8
52.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$3.80 MZN 240
-26.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$0.75 MZN 47.74
564.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.40 MZN 88.6
5.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$90.1 MZN 5,699
125.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$19.15 MZN 1,211
127.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$38.82 MZN 2,455
11.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$38.78 MZN 2,453
95.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$46.72 MZN 2,955
89.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Beira
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Beira: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Beira
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Beira
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Beira
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Beira
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Beira
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Beira
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Beira
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Beira. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $159, with Beira cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇿 Beira
🕒 Local time
21:51 9:51 PM
04:51 4:51 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
436,240
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Beira 13,990 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Beira

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
Playa del Carmen vs Beira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Beira?
Playa del Carmen and Beira differ by about 217% in total monthly costs ($1,210 vs $382 including rent). Beira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Beira?
You'd need roughly $1,816 in Playa del Carmen and $573 in Beira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Beira?
All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $382 in Beira – a 217% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $382 in Beira versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Beira but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Beira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Beira?
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.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Beira?
Expats usually find Beira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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