Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $844 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,306 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,769 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Belo Horizonte 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.47 R$32.74

81.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$33.04 R$167

25.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.68 R$33.83

59.28%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.55 R$7.85

127.10%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.93 R$4.69

62.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.64 R$3.26

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.76 R$8.92

67.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.01 R$15.24

47.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.89 R$4.52

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.51 R$7.64

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.59 R$8.03

3.14%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.94 R$9.84

29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.89 R$39.97

5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.38 R$17.10

146.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$7.19 R$36.43

49.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.17 R$10.98

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.29 R$6.52

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.09 R$5.52

74.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.30 R$6.60

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.01 R$5.12

76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.85 R$4.33

157.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.70 R$3.56

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.67 R$3.41

61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$2.11 R$10.67

93.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.69 R$43.99

18.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.07 R$5.42

59.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$2.14 R$10.82

20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.96 R$4.87

-46.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$40.86 R$207

-35.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.93 R$4.69

250.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$1.14 R$5.78

118.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$8.33 R$42.19

-60.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.05 R$5.31

24.76%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$25.5K R$129.0K

18.88%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$28.9K R$146.1K

-18.80%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$66.0 R$334

25.62%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$14.58 R$73.8

52.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$20.88 R$106

40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$24.00 R$122

115.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$39.35 R$199

-53.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$7.15 R$36.19

-29.09%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$368 R$1,861

-45.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,826 R$34.6K

-23.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$52.5 R$266

-29.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$37.80 R$191

5.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$72.7 R$368

7.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$65.9 R$334

32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$404 R$2,045

140.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$265 R$1,341

76.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$697 R$3,529

135.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$455 R$2,302

168.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,309 R$11.7K

70.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,109 R$5,617

485.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$625 R$3,165

6.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.83

5.45%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $172 per month, with Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Belo Horizonte differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $844 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.