Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Carapicuiba

For one person, living is cheaper in Carapicuiba: $844 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Carapicuiba
Learn more

Carapicuiba Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Carapicuiba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $844 in Carapicuiba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Carapicuiba $844

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,360 in Carapicuiba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Carapicuiba $1,360

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,875 in Carapicuiba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Carapicuiba $1,875

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Carapicuiba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Carapicuiba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Carapicuiba 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$7.13 R$36.16

52.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$39.84 R$202

10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$8.99 R$45.59

30.81%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.19 R$11.11

68.04%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.38 R$6.99

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.92 R$4.64

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.73 R$13.85

12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$4.47 R$22.67

10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.25 R$6.36

17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.85 R$9.40

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.16 R$5.86

27.59%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.80 R$14.18

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.75 R$44.35

-14.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.51 R$22.86

76.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.62 R$53.9

18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.83 R$14.33

-1.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.84 R$9.35

-22.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.55 R$7.83

69.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.81 R$9.17

18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.36 R$6.91

48.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.39 R$7.03

43.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.91 R$4.60

25.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.94 R$4.76

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.39 R$12.10

78.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$9.11 R$46.20

9.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.72 R$8.70

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.60 R$13.17

2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.08 R$5.46

-50.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$50.7 R$257

-45.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.62 R$8.19

202.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.03 R$5.21

233.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$8.04 R$40.76

-33.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.32 R$6.68

9.85%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$23.6K R$119.6K

-10.30%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$34.0K R$172.6K

-32.39%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$64.8 R$328

31.79%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$16.89 R$85.6

38.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$18.26 R$92.5

55.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$19.66 R$99.7

216.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$27.59 R$140

3.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$8.12 R$41.17

-37.19%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$435 R$2,203

-53.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$7,747 R$39.3K

-49.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$56.9 R$289

-22.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$58.2 R$295

-28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$94.6 R$480

-23.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$84.6 R$429

5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$229 R$1,161

327.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$150 R$762

148.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$349 R$1,769

381.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$249 R$1,261

340.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,735 R$8,797

127.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,216 R$6,165

404.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$322 R$1,631

129.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.12

2.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Carapicuiba: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Carapicuiba

$150 17.8% 59.7% $222

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Carapicuiba

$222 26.3% 14.2% $37

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Carapicuiba

$142 16.8% 29% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Carapicuiba

$100 11.8% 27.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Carapicuiba

$132 15.7% 18.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Carapicuiba

$36 4.3% 50.4% $36

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Carapicuiba

$62 7.3% 19.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $229 in Carapicuiba. 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 129% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Carapicuiba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $222 – making Carapicuiba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Carapicuiba

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

386,984

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Carapicuiba 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Carapicuiba

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 Carapicuiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,266 in Carapicuiba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 17% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $40.00 in Carapicuiba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Carapicuiba, where all-in costs run around $844, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Carapicuiba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Carapicuiba – 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 Carapicuiba. 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.