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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,071 in Braganca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,566 in Braganca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,060 in Braganca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than in Braganca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Braganca 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.47 €8.22

23.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$34.93 €30.30

19.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.00 €7.81

16.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$1.58 €1.37

127.22%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$1.52 €1.32

-0.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.92 €0.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.71 €1.48

73.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$2.97 €2.58

48.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.10 €0.96

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$1.47 €1.28

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.38 €1.20

13.04%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$3.01 €2.61

-13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.94 €6.89

4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.65 €4.90

47.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.47 €9.08

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.31 €2.00

17.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.52 €1.32

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.96 €1.70

-4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$2.53 €2.19

-13.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.36 €1.18

36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.90 €1.64

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.69 €1.46

-36.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.96 €0.83

13.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$6.09 €5.29

-31.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$4.49 €3.89

132.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.09 €0.95

52.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$2.28 €1.98

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$2.27 €1.97

-76.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.73 €10.18

123.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.53 €3.93

-32.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$1.02 €0.88

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$14.51 €12.59

-78.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.92 €1.67

-31.77%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$38.9K €33.7K

-23.37%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$40.1K €34.8K

-41.80%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$136 €118

-40.03%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$19.94 €17.30

13.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$29.03 €25.18

3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$35.15 €30.49

50.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$5.93 €5.15

210.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$5.76 €4.99

-14.58%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$457 €396

-56.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$8,327 €7,223

-37.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$23.24 €20.16

54.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$23.60 €20.47

70.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$92.1 €79.9

-13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$157 €136

-45.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$443 €385

120.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$311 €269

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$758 €658

117.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$460 €399

161.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$1,101 €955

259.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$836 €726

690.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,182 €1,025

-42.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

128.40%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Braganca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $443 in Braganca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braganca pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Braganca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $213 per month, with Braganca 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 Braganca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Braganca differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,071 including rent). Braganca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Braganca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Braganca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braganca runs roughly 123% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $457 in Braganca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,071 in Braganca versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braganca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Braganca 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Braganca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Braganca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.