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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $768 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,230 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,691 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than Cachoeirinha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cachoeirinha are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cachoeirinha 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.16 R$21.05

185.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$18.02 R$91.2

138.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.80 R$19.22

180.26%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.93 R$9.78

78.76%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.61 R$3.10

145.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.42 R$2.14

126.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.66 R$8.39

82.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.66 R$13.49

73.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.84 R$4.28

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.43 R$7.24

29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.05 R$5.31

53.33%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.11 R$10.67

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.85 R$54.9

-23.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.62 R$23.40

81.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.63 R$48.74

10.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.04 R$10.31

28.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.26 R$6.39

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.27 R$6.43

51.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.45 R$7.33

44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.14 R$5.76

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.03 R$5.23

119.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.72 R$3.63

47.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.62 R$3.13

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.98 R$10.02

109.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.46 R$37.76

39.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.99 R$5.00

73.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.79 R$9.08

45.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.88 R$4.47

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$38.51 R$195

-30.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.65 R$8.37

89.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.01 R$5.13

148.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.43 R$27.47

-41.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.07 R$5.41

18.69%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$23.9K R$121.2K

26.83%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.5K R$139.3K

-14.34%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$61.2 R$310

35.73%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$14.42 R$73.0

57.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.14 R$102

46.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.58 R$114

125.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.20 R$107

-13.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.21 R$31.43

-20.61%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$308 R$1,561

-36.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,345 R$37.2K

-28.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$48.61 R$246

-24.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$56.2 R$284

-29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$82.0 R$415

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$64.2 R$325

39.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$315 R$1,597

203.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$217 R$1,099

119.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$573 R$2,903

187.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$423 R$2,141

189.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,718 R$8,696

128.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,075 R$5,443

500.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$612 R$3,096

9.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cachoeirinha: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Cachoeirinha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Cachoeirinha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $189 – making Cachoeirinha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cachoeirinha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $768 in Cachoeirinha – roughly 65% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,152 in Cachoeirinha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cachoeirinha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $308 in Cachoeirinha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cachoeirinha, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Cachoeirinha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $768 in Cachoeirinha to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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