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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $751 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,215 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,678 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Caraguatatuba 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$6.66 R$34.02

80.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$26.36 R$135

58.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.83 R$34.92

57.39%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.75 R$8.95

100.00%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.06 R$5.40

36.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.84 R$4.28

4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.82 R$9.32

62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.86 R$14.62

57.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.96 R$4.91

48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.47 R$7.50

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.19 R$6.07

31.93%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.69 R$8.66

48.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.43 R$27.77

52.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$2.95 R$15.07

185.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.41 R$37.85

44.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.93 R$9.88

35.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.67 R$8.52

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.33 R$6.82

47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.69 R$8.64

23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.14 R$5.85

62.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.75 R$3.81

189.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.61 R$3.13

68.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.69 R$3.51

55.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$1.79 R$9.12

129.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$6.72 R$34.36

51.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.32 R$6.74

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.00 R$10.23

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.87 R$4.47

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$20.96 R$107

24.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.05 R$5.39

207.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.58 R$2.96

315.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.14 R$16.07

2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.07 R$5.45

23.36%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$13.8K R$70.4K

115.54%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$26.2K R$133.7K

-9.52%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$51.3 R$262

59.83%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$11.91 R$60.9

92.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$20.56 R$105

46.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$19.37 R$99.0

168.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$14.15 R$72.3

30.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.39 R$37.77

-32.61%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$200 R$1,020

-1.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$3,854 R$19.7K

38.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$50.6 R$259

-29.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$55.6 R$284

-27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$71.6 R$366

10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$53.6 R$274

65.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$371 R$1,894

155.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$206 R$1,055

129.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$775 R$3,959

112.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$482 R$2,462

151.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,629 R$8,327

148.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,131 R$5,782

471.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$327 R$1,672

99.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.15

40.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 100% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $162 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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% 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 $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $751 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,256 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 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.