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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $671 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,088 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,504 in Contagem, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 87% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Contagem 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.60 R$23.40

160.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$17.71 R$90.2

135.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.79 R$29.46

85.66%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.24 R$6.31

182.26%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.86 R$4.36

68.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.43 R$2.18

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.18 R$6.02

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.21 R$11.26

104.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.88 R$4.47

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.47 R$7.46

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.54 R$7.86

1.95%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.55 R$7.90

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.92 R$40.31

4.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.18 R$16.19

165.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$5.24 R$26.65

103.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.84 R$9.35

41.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.28 R$6.54

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.92 R$4.69

113.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.32 R$6.71

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.03 R$5.22

79.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.81 R$4.15

167.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.69 R$3.53

49.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.64 R$3.25

67.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.22 R$11.31

84.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.89 R$29.97

72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.04 R$5.29

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.14 R$10.87

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.37 R$6.98

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$73.8 R$376

-64.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.92 R$4.67

251.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.03 R$5.26

133.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$8.07 R$41.07

-59.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.05 R$5.37

25.71%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$24.9K R$127.0K

19.05%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.8K R$146.8K

-17.94%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$64.0 R$326

28.08%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$14.36 R$73.1

59.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$16.12 R$82.1

86.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$24.21 R$123

114.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$21.20 R$108

-12.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.31 R$32.12

-21.08%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$137 R$698

43.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,743 R$34.3K

-20.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$52.2 R$266

-31.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$36.62 R$186

10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$72.0 R$367

9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$65.8 R$335

35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$204 R$1,036

365.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$120 R$609

296.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$439 R$2,235

274.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$265 R$1,351

356.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,976 R$10.1K

105.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$964 R$4,907

571.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$250 R$1,274

161.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.83

5.45%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Contagem: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 in Contagem. 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 161% 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 $18.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $155 – making Contagem 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 Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 87%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,006 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 184% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $137 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $671, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Contagem. 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.