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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $739 in Cascavel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,135 in Cascavel, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,531 in Cascavel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 75% more than Cascavel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cascavel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cascavel 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.92 R$55.3

7.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$21.74 R$110

91.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.25 R$31.63

70.24%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.18 R$5.98

198.31%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.16 R$5.88

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.49 R$2.48

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.07 R$5.39

175.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.05 R$10.36

117.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.87 R$4.41

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.21 R$6.14

56.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.56 R$7.91

5.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.94 R$9.81

29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.65 R$48.82

-13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.26 R$16.48

155.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.31 R$31.95

70.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.18 R$11.02

19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.83 R$4.20

75.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.55 R$2.81

245.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.46 R$7.41

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.20 R$6.08

48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.10 R$5.58

99.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.71 R$3.57

46.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.71 R$3.58

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.79 R$9.07

127.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$13.62 R$68.9

-24.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.62 R$8.20

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.20 R$11.14

17.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.87 R$4.41

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$38.66 R$196

-31.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.11 R$5.61

193.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.76 R$3.86

227.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.26 R$31.69

-48.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.05 R$5.30

24.76%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$21.7K R$109.6K

39.83%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.9K R$146.1K

-18.86%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$53.1 R$269

56.15%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$9.72 R$49.16

128.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$20.92 R$106

40.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$17.06 R$86.3

202.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.57 R$109

-15.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.25 R$26.57

-3.43%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$199 R$1,006

1.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,591 R$33.3K

-20.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$18.83 R$95.3

96.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$36.51 R$185

8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$66.2 R$335

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$64.0 R$324

36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$296 R$1,495

229.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$189 R$958

147.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$477 R$2,414

244.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$280 R$1,415

336.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,507 R$7,625

161.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$983 R$4,972

561.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$497 R$2,512

33.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cascavel: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $296 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 34% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Cascavel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $181 – 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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $739 in Cascavel – roughly 75% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,109 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.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $199 in Cascavel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $739, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $739 in Cascavel to $1,297 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.