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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $833 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,322 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,811 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Belo Horizonte 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$6.21 R$31.49

92.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$32.52 R$165

28.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.57 R$33.31

58.60%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.56 R$7.91

125.00%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.00 R$5.05

52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.66 R$3.34

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.77 R$8.98

71.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$3.02 R$15.30

44.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$0.89 R$4.51

59.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.50 R$7.61

22.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.54 R$7.80

5.84%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.88 R$9.55

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$7.88 R$40.01

8.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.33 R$16.90

154.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.07 R$35.86

52.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.15 R$10.90

27.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.29 R$6.55

11.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$1.09 R$5.54

73.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.31 R$6.67

65.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.03 R$5.22

72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$0.84 R$4.28

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.65 R$3.32

64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.69 R$3.50

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$2.10 R$10.64

97.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$8.02 R$40.71

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.06 R$5.39

64.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$2.20 R$11.14

17.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.98 R$4.97

-47.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$40.49 R$205

-35.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$0.99 R$5.03

224.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.08 R$5.48

131.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$8.34 R$42.33

-61.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.04 R$5.28

21.15%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$25.6K R$129.8K

16.09%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$28.7K R$145.5K

-17.39%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$66.2 R$336

23.93%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$14.25 R$72.3

59.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$20.53 R$104

43.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$24.08 R$122

116.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$39.62 R$201

-53.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$7.26 R$36.84

-32.09%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$370 R$1,878

-45.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$6,733 R$34.2K

-22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$52.5 R$266

-31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$36.47 R$185

10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$72.5 R$368

10.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$66.3 R$337

34.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$409 R$2,077

131.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$267 R$1,355

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$678 R$3,442

140.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$448 R$2,275

166.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$2,261 R$11.5K

73.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,081 R$5,485

494.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$613 R$3,109

7.44%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $409 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 7% 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 $252 vs $170 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,259 vs $833 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $409 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $370 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $833 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,259 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 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.