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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $969 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,551 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,132 in Brasilia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.92 R$45.75

34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$38.80 R$199

22.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.49 R$43.54

38.40%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.58 R$13.24

59.69%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.41 R$7.22

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.90 R$4.62

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.36 R$12.07

36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.87 R$19.83

82.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.08 R$5.53

55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.03 R$10.43

5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.28 R$6.58

38.28%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.43 R$12.45

16.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.81 R$60.6

-22.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.11 R$21.09

124.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.48 R$43.47

49.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.42 R$12.39

21.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.46 R$7.47

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.28 R$6.55

73.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.65 R$8.45

43.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.16 R$5.92

71.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.07 R$5.47

85.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.79 R$4.03

56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.95 R$4.85

27.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.40 R$12.29

91.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.23 R$42.17

27.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.22 R$6.27

38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.34 R$12.02

18.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.00 R$5.10

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$35.06 R$180

-15.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.07 R$5.47

389.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.92 R$4.73

296.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.05 R$30.99

-4.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.31 R$6.73

17.56%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$23.3K R$119.6K

-2.25%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$31.9K R$163.6K

-19.13%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$96.4 R$494

-5.97%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$12.61 R$64.6

99.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$21.81 R$112

45.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$31.07 R$159

121.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$27.00 R$138

8.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.68 R$39.38

-36.72%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$822 R$4,214

-72.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$16.4K R$84.3K

-74.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$51.7 R$265

-8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$43.32 R$222

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$83.3 R$427

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$86.4 R$443

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$479 R$2,453

126.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$258 R$1,322

58.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,116 R$5,719

76.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$557 R$2,855

130.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,457 R$12.6K

64.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,748 R$8,962

283.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$844 R$4,327

-8.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.12

-5.53%

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 Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $479 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $209 per month, with Brasilia 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 Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Brasilia differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $969 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Brasilia. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $479 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $969 in Brasilia – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $969 in Brasilia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.