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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $845 in Cariacica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,331 in Cariacica, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,818 in Cariacica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 53% more than Cariacica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cariacica are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cariacica 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.91 R$30.26

98.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$31.19 R$160

49.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.24 R$37.10

60.91%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$1.88 R$9.61

117.55%

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

$1.37 MX$23.21

$1.30 R$6.67

5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.08

$0.72 R$3.71

15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$1.95 R$9.99

71.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.84 R$14.55

143.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.16

$1.05 R$5.37

64.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.17

$1.86 R$9.51

21.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.88

$1.33 R$6.83

33.08%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.14

$2.18 R$11.17

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$9.15 R$46.88

0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.05 R$20.74

120.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.19 R$41.99

53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.23 R$11.42

35.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.52

$1.29 R$6.61

21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.89

$1.12 R$5.72

90.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.23

$1.53 R$7.85

47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$1.23 R$6.28

62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.86

$1.00 R$5.10

106.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.92

$0.78 R$3.99

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$0.72 R$3.71

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$2.58 R$13.23

79.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$7.78 R$39.85

37.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.35

$1.05 R$5.41

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.65

$2.27 R$11.66

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.95 R$4.84

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$47.77 R$245

-37.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.0

$1.29 R$6.62

322.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.92 R$4.70

302.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$7.05 R$36.14

-15.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.25 R$6.38

24.00%

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

$22.3K MX$377.0K

$23.0K R$117.6K

-2.74%

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

$25.9K MX$438.2K

$33.6K R$172.0K

-22.68%

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

$89.1 MX$1,505

$79.0 R$405

12.78%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.50 R$59.0

117.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$19.38 R$99.3

62.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$25.48 R$131

166.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$29.61 R$152

-2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$6.69 R$34.30

-24.51%

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

$225 MX$3,798

$284 R$1,455

-20.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$7,555 R$38.7K

-44.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$55.6 R$285

-14.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$51.1 R$262

-11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$103 R$527

-20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$74.0 R$379

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$342 R$1,753

212.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

$259 R$1,329

56.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$702 R$3,598

175.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$483 R$2,477

169.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,551 R$7,950

157.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

$1,273 R$6,525

420.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cariacica: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $342 in Cariacica. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Cariacica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $189 – making Cariacica 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 Cariacica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 53%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,268 in Cariacica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $31.00 in Cariacica. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $845 in Cariacica. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cariacica, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Cariacica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cariacica – 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 Cariacica. 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.