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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Brasilia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.02 R$35.53

67.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$38.86 R$197

7.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.32 R$32.01

68.35%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.96 R$9.91

79.59%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$1.18 R$5.96

27.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.86 R$4.35

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.85 R$9.39

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.18 R$16.08

39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.99 R$5.04

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.60 R$8.09

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.41 R$7.15

16.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.04 R$10.31

23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.45 R$47.87

-11.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.40 R$17.21

145.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$7.04 R$35.63

52.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.96 R$9.93

32.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.40 R$7.11

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.20 R$6.09

58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.66 R$8.39

25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.24 R$6.28

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.31 R$6.61

67.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.81 R$4.08

28.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.63 R$3.19

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$2.13 R$10.78

91.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.02 R$45.69

14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.10 R$5.59

55.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$2.39 R$12.09

7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.03 R$5.21

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$44.41 R$225

-40.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.94 R$4.77

246.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.81 R$4.08

207.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$5.57 R$28.21

-41.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.12 R$5.68

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$25.0K R$126.6K

21.08%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$29.1K R$147.4K

-19.52%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$72.2 R$366

14.73%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.08 R$66.2

69.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$20.40 R$103

43.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$24.97 R$126

106.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.29 R$108

-13.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$7.08 R$35.84

-28.39%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$488 R$2,473

-58.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$15.0K R$75.9K

-65.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$58.3 R$295

-36.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$41.97 R$213

-5.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$69.8 R$353

12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$65.2 R$330

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$408 R$2,064

138.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$260 R$1,318

79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$949 R$4,803

73.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$562 R$2,845

117.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,540 R$12.9K

55.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,714 R$8,678

279.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$846 R$4,285

-21.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.87

-3.79%

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 Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 27% 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 $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $183 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $862 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Brasilia earns 27% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $408 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $862 in Brasilia – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $1,297 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 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.