Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Brest, France

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,385 in Brest, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Brest, France
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Brest
🇫🇷 France
$1,385
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Brest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Brest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,385 in Brest.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Brest $1,385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,163 in Brest.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Brest $2,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,941 in Brest.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Brest $2,941

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 13% less than in Brest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Brest is 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$15.75 €14.12
-30.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$43.99 €39.42
-1.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$11.15 €9.99
5.65%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$2.91 €2.61
30.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$2.92 €2.62
-56.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$2.11 €1.89
-63.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$6.76 €6.06
-53.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$5.24 €4.70
-5.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.14 €1.02
23.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$1.60 €1.44
38.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$2.52 €2.26
-43.65%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$3.63 €3.25
-30.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$18.30 €16.40
-60.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$10.22 €9.16
-24.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$14.01 €12.56
-9.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$3.01 €2.70
-7.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$1.91 €1.72
-28.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$2.57 €2.30
-0.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$2.79 €2.50
-24.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$1.73 €1.55
12.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$2.12 €1.90
-10.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$1.32 €1.19
-12.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$0.34 €0.31
247.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$13.59 €12.18
-68.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$6.53 €5.85
52.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$2.67 €2.39
-40.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$2.77 €2.48
-3.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$1.85 €1.65
-70.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$40.15 €35.98
-33.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$8.12 €7.28
-38.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$3.03 €2.72
9.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$31.43 €28.16
-82.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$2.09 €1.88
-31.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$35.7K €32.0K
-42.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$33.9K €30.4K
-30.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$138 €124
-38.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$28.25 €25.32
-17.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$30.40 €27.24
-5.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$35.19 €31.53
62.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$15.11 €13.54
91.33%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$13.91 €12.47
-63.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$224 €201
-7.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$11.6K €10.4K
-66.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$70.2 €62.9
-38.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$30.19 €27.05
37.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$79.5 €71.2
-6.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$72.1 €64.6
23.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$508 €455
92.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$381 €342
-0.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$864 €775
97.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$737 €660
45.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$2,809 €2,517
40.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$2,453 €2,198
151.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Brest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$2,594 €2,325
-71.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.82
199.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brest: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Brest
$381 0.1% $0.4
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Brest
$302 18.4% $47
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Brest
$259 27.9% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Brest
$197 43.6% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Brest
$113 1.5% $1.6
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Brest
$63 6.4% $4.3
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Brest
$71 40.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $44 in Brest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $302 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇫🇷 Brest
🕒 Local time
20:47 8:47 PM
02:47 2:47 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
139,619
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Brest 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Brest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Brest?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Brest. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Playa del Carmen or in Brest?
On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Brest?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Brest?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $224 in Brest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Playa del Carmen compared to Brest?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 34% less than in Brest. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Brest?
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.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Brest?
It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Brest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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