Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
Learn more

Cabo Frio Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $625 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Cabo Frio $625

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Cabo Frio $1,031

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,438 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Cabo Frio $1,438

Playa del Carmen costs about 92% more than Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cabo Frio are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Cabo Frio 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$5.58 R$30.63

91.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$27.85 R$153

57.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$6.46 R$35.46

82.51%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$1.62 R$8.90

133.95%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$1.26 R$6.91

3.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.50 R$2.75

66.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$1.13 R$6.20

178.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$1.79 R$9.84

175.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$0.77 R$4.22

83.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$1.41 R$7.72

56.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$0.76 R$4.19

93.42%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$1.43 R$7.85

74.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$7.20 R$39.49

1.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$3.18 R$17.47

150.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$9.19 R$50.4

39.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$1.77 R$9.71

63.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.10 R$6.06

25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$0.90 R$4.95

176.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$1.18 R$6.50

72.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$0.64 R$3.51

215.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$0.75 R$4.14

153.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$0.53 R$2.92

115.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$0.54 R$2.94

129.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$1.50 R$8.21

184.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$5.50 R$30.20

78.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$0.88 R$4.81

80.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$1.32 R$7.24

108.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$1.25 R$6.87

-59.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

$74.7 R$410

-63.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$1.22 R$6.68

290.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$0.73 R$4.00

345.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$7.24 R$39.72

-25.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.08 R$5.91

41.67%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$19.7K R$108.2K

7.60%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$28.6K R$156.8K

-18.59%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$54.1 R$297

54.38%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$7.04 R$38.66

229.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$12.74 R$69.9

116.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$20.35 R$112

177.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$4.39 R$24.10

13.90%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$135 R$740

53.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$2,436 R$13.4K

114.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$42.09 R$231

3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$37.34 R$205

13.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$51.9 R$285

40.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$44.49 R$244

98.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$418 R$2,295

137.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$108 R$594

253.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$611 R$3,355

173.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$262 R$1,439

312.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$256 R$1,407

224.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.67

7.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3% 71.7% $274

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1% 41.5% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Cabo Frio

$100 16% 50.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8% 45% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7% 28.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7% 56.2% $37

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5% 67.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $418 in Cabo Frio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $28 in Cabo Frio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $151 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

222,161

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Cabo Frio 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $938 in Cabo Frio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $625 in Cabo Frio. That makes Cabo Frio about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cabo Frio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.