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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $785 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,230 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,676 in Castanhal.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than Castanhal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Castanhal 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$5.38 R$27.73

118.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$27.39 R$141

51.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.23 R$32.08

70.79%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.74 R$8.95

102.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.12 R$5.77

34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.66 R$3.39

46.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.85 R$9.51

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.64 R$13.62

68.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$0.92 R$4.75

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.47 R$7.56

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.19 R$6.15

37.82%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.04 R$10.52

23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.32 R$42.85

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.60 R$18.53

131.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$7.20 R$37.09

49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.13 R$10.97

22.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.26 R$6.51

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.14 R$5.85

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.49 R$7.68

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.14 R$5.86

56.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.11 R$5.72

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.69 R$3.56

50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.66 R$3.41

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$2.10 R$10.84

94.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$6.81 R$35.10

51.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.27 R$6.53

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$2.08 R$10.72

24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.93 R$4.81

-45.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$38.19 R$197

-30.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.10 R$5.69

196.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$0.76 R$3.90

227.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.54 R$33.68

-50.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.04 R$5.36

25.96%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$20.4K R$105.1K

48.39%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$27.8K R$143.3K

-15.77%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$61.0 R$314

35.83%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$13.75 R$70.9

61.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$18.73 R$96.5

56.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.87 R$118

125.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.99 R$113

-16.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.23 R$32.09

-18.62%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$266 R$1,369

-24.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$6,397 R$33.0K

-18.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$48.34 R$249

-23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$42.34 R$218

-6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$77.1 R$397

1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$63.2 R$326

37.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$321 R$1,655

202.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$213 R$1,098

119.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$585 R$3,012

180.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$438 R$2,255

178.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,771 R$9,125

122.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,097 R$5,653

492.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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 Castanhal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $321 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $172 per month, with Castanhal 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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,177 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $785 in Castanhal – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $785 in Castanhal versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $785 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.