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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $947 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,515 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,084 in Belo Horizonte.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Belo Horizonte 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.02 R$30.84

98.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$37.23 R$191

27.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.77 R$44.95

33.98%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.21 R$11.34

86.43%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.37 R$7.00

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.75 R$3.85

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.99 R$10.21

61.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.43 R$17.59

106.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.95 R$4.89

76.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.77 R$9.10

21.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.00 R$10.27

-11.50%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.16 R$11.08

30.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.65 R$49.47

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.24 R$21.74

117.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.33 R$37.56

72.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.92 R$9.82

53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.14 R$5.83

38.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.16 R$5.97

91.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.61 R$8.27

46.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.08 R$5.51

84.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.97 R$4.96

104.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.83 R$4.26

49.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.83 R$4.25

45.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.41 R$12.33

90.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.00 R$41.03

31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.37 R$7.02

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.67 R$13.68

3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.22 R$6.26

-50.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$68.5 R$351

-56.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.00 R$5.12

424.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.76 R$3.91

380.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.46 R$33.10

-10.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.28 R$6.56

20.31%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$23.5K R$120.5K

-2.99%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.0K R$164.1K

-19.37%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$73.1 R$375

23.97%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.22 R$52.4

146.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.76 R$106

52.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$27.33 R$140

151.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$44.18 R$227

-33.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.63 R$39.09

-36.30%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$450 R$2,306

-49.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$13.8K R$71.0K

-69.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$59.0 R$302

-19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$47.16 R$242

-7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$97.8 R$501

-17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$70.6 R$362

29.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$561 R$2,878

93.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$289 R$1,483

41.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$860 R$4,411

129.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$595 R$3,052

115.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,253 R$11.6K

79.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,066 R$5,464

528.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$612 R$3,139

26.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.25

1.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $561 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 26% 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 $37.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $192 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $947 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $561 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $450 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 $947 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,305 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.