Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Contagem

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $724 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Contagem

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Contagem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $724 in Contagem, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Contagem $724

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,164 in Contagem, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Contagem $1,164

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,605 in Contagem, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Contagem $1,605

Playa del Carmen costs about 66% more than Contagem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Contagem 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$5.54 R$30.39

92.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$27.69 R$152

58.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$6.65 R$36.51

77.29%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$1.63 R$8.94

132.52%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$1.28 R$7.00

1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.58 R$3.16

43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$1.22 R$6.68

158.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$2.28 R$12.51

116.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$0.88 R$4.80

60.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$1.61 R$8.85

36.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$1.28 R$7.02

14.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$1.87 R$10.28

33.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$8.96 R$49.16

-18.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$3.14 R$17.25

153.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$7.17 R$39.36

79.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$1.82 R$9.98

59.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.15 R$6.29

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$0.90 R$4.92

176.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$1.51 R$8.30

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$1.04 R$5.71

94.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$0.99 R$5.42

91.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$0.74 R$4.07

54.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$0.72 R$3.93

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$1.48 R$8.13

188.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$5.47 R$30.05

79.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$0.90 R$4.94

76.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$1.32 R$7.27

108.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$1.38 R$7.59

-63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

$72.7 R$399

-62.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$1.04 R$5.70

357.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$0.82 R$4.48

296.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$5.82 R$31.92

-7.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.16 R$6.37

31.90%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$21.8K R$119.7K

-2.71%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$29.5K R$162.2K

-21.26%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$70.5 R$387

18.39%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$9.22 R$50.6

151.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$17.33 R$95.1

59.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$24.57 R$135

129.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$22.42 R$123

25.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$6.80 R$37.31

-26.47%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$136 R$744

52.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$2,460 R$13.5K

112.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$55.4 R$304

-21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$44.74 R$246

-4.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$62.5 R$343

16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$44.16 R$242

100.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$208 R$1,139

379.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$147 R$804

160.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$433 R$2,375

286.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$305 R$1,673

254.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

$1,863 R$10.2K

109.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

$922 R$5,059

565.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$237 R$1,300

251.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.67

7.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Contagem: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Contagem

$147 20.3% 61.7% $236

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Contagem

$163 22.6% 36.5% $94

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Contagem

$102 14.1% 49.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Contagem

$97 13.4% 27.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Contagem

$93 12.9% 16.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Contagem

$38 5.3% 42.5% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Contagem

$83 11.5% 65.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $208 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $28 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $163 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Contagem

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

621,863

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Contagem 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Contagem

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,085 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $136 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.