Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Belem Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Belem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $920 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,413 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,906 in Belem.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Belem 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$4.78 R$24.50

142.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$19.78 R$101

138.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$6.94 R$35.54

71.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.01 R$10.32

98.01%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.03 R$5.28

38.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.51 R$2.63

60.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.52 R$7.77

109.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.29 R$11.74

196.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.29 R$6.63

30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.41 R$12.35

-8.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.29 R$6.61

32.56%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.09 R$10.71

31.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.12 R$46.76

5.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.46 R$22.84

102.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$7.59 R$38.90

68.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.23 R$11.41

29.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.38 R$7.06

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.44 R$7.39

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.67 R$8.57

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.02 R$5.21

94.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.61 R$3.10

226.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.29 R$6.59

-4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.38 R$7.10

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.68 R$13.73

69.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$9.67 R$49.57

7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.41 R$7.25

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.82 R$24.72

-40.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.88 R$4.50

-31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$33.74 R$173

-14.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.15 R$5.91

368.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.19 R$6.12

213.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$8.21 R$42.06

-29.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.25 R$6.43

23.20%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.8K R$116.9K

-1.19%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.6K R$162.0K

-17.55%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$98.3 R$504

-7.05%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$11.06 R$56.7

127.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$30.50 R$156

2.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$21.09 R$108

218.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$38.56 R$198

-24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.67 R$39.28

-36.64%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$112 R$573

99.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$3,359 R$17.2K

25.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$31.67 R$162

48.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$43.49 R$223

1.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$81.7 R$419

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$65.4 R$335

41.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$531 R$2,719

100.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$275 R$1,407

42.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$860 R$4,405

150.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$517 R$2,651

145.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,952 R$10.0K

104.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,408 R$7,216

361.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$405 R$2,077

87.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.48

-0.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Belem: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $531 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 87% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $219 per month, with Belem 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

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

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $531 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $112 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $920 in Belem versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.