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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $679 in Criciuma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,003 in Criciuma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,328 in Criciuma.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 86% more expensive than Criciuma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Criciuma 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$4.84 R$24.10

139.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$21.99 R$110

94.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$5.28 R$26.28

100.76%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.25 R$6.22

187.20%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.85 R$4.25

70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.57 R$2.85

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.64 R$8.17

84.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$1.51 R$7.52

201.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$0.86 R$4.29

68.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.29 R$6.41

41.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.98 R$4.86

64.29%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.77 R$8.82

43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$7.97 R$39.71

7.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.21 R$15.96

163.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$6.84 R$34.06

58.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.86 R$9.26

46.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$0.90 R$4.46

65.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$0.85 R$4.21

128.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.25 R$6.25

72.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.98 R$4.89

88.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.02 R$5.08

114.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.70 R$3.48

52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.63 R$3.12

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$2.54 R$12.67

59.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$4.91 R$24.45

113.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$1.03 R$5.13

60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.25 R$6.24

104.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.87 R$4.34

-35.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$32.00 R$159

-18.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$0.42 R$2.08

647.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$1.02 R$5.06

132.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$2.13 R$10.60

52.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.09 R$5.43

20.18%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.9K R$99.1K

53.53%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$25.6K R$127.3K

-6.79%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$58.4 R$291

42.31%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$14.10 R$70.2

57.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$20.81 R$104

41.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$24.92 R$124

105.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$21.63 R$108

-13.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$7.84 R$39.05

-37.63%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$126 R$628

57.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$1,500 R$7,469

247.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$24.63 R$123

45.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$30.13 R$150

30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$68.0 R$339

18.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$31.62 R$157

176.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$221 R$1,101

335.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$198 R$985

143.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$296 R$1,475

455.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$247 R$1,228

383.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$1,189 R$5,921

232.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$641 R$3,195

915.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$320 R$1,595

126.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.4

35.95%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Criciuma: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $221 in Criciuma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 127% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $22 in Criciuma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $150 per month, with Criciuma 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 Criciuma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 127% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $221 in Criciuma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in Criciuma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $679 in Criciuma versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Criciuma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.