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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $821 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,320 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,819 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Caraguatatuba 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.31 R$37.69

58.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$28.18 R$145

67.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.09 R$41.69

46.85%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.23 R$11.50

78.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.18 R$6.10

21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.92 R$4.72

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.38 R$12.24

34.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.14 R$16.18

116.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.97 R$5.01

73.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.51 R$7.78

45.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.31 R$6.75

30.53%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.92 R$9.87

42.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.89 R$30.34

62.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.09 R$15.91

191.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.64 R$39.34

67.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.08 R$10.70

38.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.76 R$9.08

-14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.42 R$7.34

51.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.51 R$7.76

49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.28 R$6.61

54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.75 R$3.88

165.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.66 R$3.39

86.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.76 R$3.93

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.03 R$10.46

124.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.62 R$34.11

56.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.47 R$7.57

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.43 R$12.50

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.95 R$4.91

-36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$22.80 R$117

26.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.11 R$5.70

385.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.69 R$3.56

440.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.48 R$17.90

65.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.27 R$6.55

21.26%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$14.9K R$76.8K

51.26%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$29.0K R$149.6K

-10.26%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$64.5 R$332

41.74%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$12.90 R$66.5

95.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$22.19 R$114

40.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$20.94 R$108

220.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$15.33 R$79.0

89.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.94 R$40.90

-38.79%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$212 R$1,094

5.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$4,066 R$20.9K

4.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$54.2 R$279

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$55.4 R$285

-20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$74.6 R$384

7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$57.5 R$296

61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$415 R$2,140

155.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$226 R$1,165

72.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$855 R$4,403

151.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$520 R$2,680

144.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,622 R$8,355

146.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,130 R$5,822

475.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$333 R$1,715

127.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.15

40.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $415 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 128% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $171 per month, with Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 128% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $821 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.