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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $692 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,093 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,495 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 3% lower, Contagem 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.37 R$21.86

168.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$18.32 R$91.7

127.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.69 R$28.48

86.99%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.27 R$6.37

177.17%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.93 R$4.66

62.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.47 R$2.35

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.14 R$5.73

158.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.26 R$11.33

96.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.93 R$4.65

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.53 R$7.64

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.56 R$7.80

5.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.61 R$8.07

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.90 R$39.54

5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.21 R$16.06

159.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$5.11 R$25.58

109.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.85 R$9.26

40.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.34 R$6.69

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.88 R$4.42

115.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.36 R$6.79

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.02 R$5.10

74.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.81 R$4.03

170.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.69 R$3.46

50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.63 R$3.16

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.13 R$10.64

91.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.96 R$29.84

73.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.03 R$5.15

66.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.22 R$11.09

16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.34 R$6.69

-61.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$72.3 R$362

-63.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.93 R$4.65

250.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.97 R$4.87

156.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$7.94 R$39.76

-59.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.03 R$5.14

27.18%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$25.0K R$125.3K

20.98%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$29.1K R$145.7K

-19.51%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$64.2 R$321

29.12%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$14.08 R$70.5

57.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$16.13 R$80.7

81.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$24.20 R$121

113.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.68 R$109

-15.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.39 R$31.99

-20.66%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$134 R$669

50.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,853 R$34.3K

-23.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$51.8 R$259

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$37.65 R$188

5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$73.3 R$367

7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$63.8 R$319

36.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$203 R$1,016

379.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$118 R$590

296.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$436 R$2,184

276.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$266 R$1,330

359.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,949 R$9,753

102.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,002 R$5,012

548.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$256 R$1,279

159.74%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Contagem: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $203 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 160% 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 $156 – 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,038 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 173% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $134 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 $692, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.