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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $858 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,351 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,844 in Castanhal.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 48% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Castanhal 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.75 R$29.60

101.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$35.32 R$182

33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.17 R$36.96

65.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.90 R$9.77

109.47%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.34 R$6.92

6.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.79 R$4.09

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.98 R$10.21

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.83 R$14.60

139.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.06 R$5.48

58.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.70 R$8.76

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.27 R$6.54

34.65%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.09 R$10.78

31.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.57 R$44.17

11.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.27 R$21.97

111.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.12 R$41.85

57.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.37 R$12.22

21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.34 R$6.90

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.20 R$6.18

79.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.74 R$8.95

29.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.09 R$5.61

81.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.22 R$6.29

63.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.76 R$3.94

61.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.75 R$3.89

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.32 R$11.96

96.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.78 R$45.21

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.15 R$5.94

40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.87 R$9.64

54.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.01 R$5.22

-40.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$47.51 R$245

-39.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.29 R$6.63

317.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.81 R$4.16

360.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$7.61 R$39.20

-24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.30 R$6.69

18.46%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$20.4K R$105.0K

10.63%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$34.3K R$176.8K

-24.07%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$66.7 R$344

37.00%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$11.49 R$59.2

119.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$23.06 R$119

35.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.09 R$129

167.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$29.80 R$154

-2.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.94 R$35.76

-29.97%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$318 R$1,637

-29.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$8,060 R$41.5K

-47.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$52.8 R$272

-10.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$48.29 R$249

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$92.3 R$476

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$71.5 R$368

29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$332 R$1,709

220.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$211 R$1,089

84.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$716 R$3,690

200.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$400 R$2,060

218.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,553 R$8,000

157.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,116 R$5,752

482.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.06

3.53%

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 Castanhal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $332 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $191 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 48% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,286 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $332 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 $35.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $858 in Castanhal – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $858 in Castanhal versus $1,266 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 $858 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 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.