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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $688 in Cascavel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,033 in Cascavel, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,377 in Cascavel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% more than Cascavel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cascavel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cascavel 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$8.90 R$45.84

30.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$23.05 R$119

104.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.62 R$34.13

79.46%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.54 R$7.93

158.44%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.07 R$5.53

33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.56 R$2.87

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.15 R$5.92

177.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.20 R$11.35

208.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.00 R$5.17

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.30 R$6.71

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.65 R$8.52

3.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.11 R$10.89

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.23 R$52.7

-6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.42 R$17.61

163.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.65 R$34.25

92.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.29 R$11.79

26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.89 R$4.60

68.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.61 R$3.12

252.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.15 R$5.91

73.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.70 R$3.59

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.86 R$9.58

144.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$13.37 R$68.9

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.79 R$9.21

-9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.38 R$12.28

21.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.88 R$4.52

-31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.19 R$6.15

29.41%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$26.4K R$136.0K

-14.58%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$32.5K R$167.5K

-19.84%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$56.0 R$289

63.18%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.48 R$54.0

140.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$22.76 R$117

37.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$18.32 R$94.4

266.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.94 R$30.63

-18.18%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$214 R$1,104

4.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$20.14 R$104

133.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$39.18 R$202

13.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$70.9 R$365

13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$321 R$1,652

231.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$202 R$1,039

93.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$511 R$2,631

320.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$303 R$1,560

320.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,470 R$7,574

172.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$984 R$5,072

560.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$480 R$2,473

57.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Cascavel: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Cascavel. 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 58% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Cascavel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $176 – making Cascavel 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 Cascavel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $688 in Cascavel – roughly 84% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,032 in Cascavel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cascavel, 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 $23.00 in Cascavel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cascavel, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Cascavel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $688 in Cascavel to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cascavel. 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.