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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $568 in Caruaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $932 in Caruaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,297 in Caruaru.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 124% more expensive than Caruaru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Caruaru 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.72 R$23.89

151.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$26.81 R$136

60.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.17 R$31.25

72.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.67 R$8.43

106.59%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.00 R$5.04

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.37 R$1.89

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.11 R$5.61

172.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.46 R$7.40

215.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.17 R$5.92

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.03 R$5.19

79.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.87 R$4.42

85.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.44 R$12.33

6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.57 R$18.05

131.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.67 R$13.50

213.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.20 R$31.37

71.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.29 R$6.54

103.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.90 R$4.54

65.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.77 R$3.90

149.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.03 R$5.20

102.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.83 R$4.21

124.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.83 R$4.21

172.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.34 R$1.73

211.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.55 R$2.80

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.71 R$13.74

53.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$2.83 R$14.34

267.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.44 R$7.31

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.94 R$14.90

-11.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.84 R$4.26

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$24.61 R$125

9.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.81 R$9.18

72.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.63 R$3.21

298.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.72 R$13.75

15.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.76 R$3.84

67.11%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$18.7K R$94.7K

62.39%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.9K R$146.2K

-18.40%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$51.2 R$259

62.24%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.24 R$36.65

213.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.88 R$44.95

231.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$13.32 R$67.5

282.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$27.43 R$139

-33.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.43 R$32.56

-23.33%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$98.2 R$497

100.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,335 R$32.1K

-16.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$35.14 R$178

5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.96 R$228

-11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$110 R$556

-27.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$59.0 R$299

51.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$150 R$761

536.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$115 R$582

315.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$325 R$1,647

405.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$237 R$1,201

416.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,374 R$6,954

185.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,291 R$6,533

400.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$259 R$1,309

157.86%

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 Caruaru: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $150 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 158% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $129 per month, with Caruaru 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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Caruaru differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $568 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 158% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $150 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $98.2 in Caruaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $568 in Caruaru versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.