Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cuiaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuiaba: $1,018 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuiaba
Learn more

Cuiaba Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cuiaba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,018 in Cuiaba.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Cuiaba $1,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,540 in Cuiaba.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Cuiaba $1,540

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,062 in Cuiaba.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Cuiaba $2,062

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cuiaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Cuiaba 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$5.16 R$27.77

111.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$27.37 R$147

58.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.52 R$40.48

56.65%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.71 R$9.21

122.81%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.36 R$7.32

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.72 R$3.85

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.91 R$10.25

65.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.54 R$13.65

94.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.14 R$6.12

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.49 R$8.03

48.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.69 R$9.08

-15.98%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.95 R$15.87

-14.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$16.16 R$87.0

-55.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.24 R$22.83

81.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$10.25 R$55.1

23.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.21 R$11.88

25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.33 R$12.55

-41.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.40 R$12.89

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.86 R$15.38

-25.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.38 R$12.79

-18.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.97 R$10.61

-4.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.53 R$8.25

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.39 R$7.48

-15.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.17 R$11.67

98.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$10.90 R$58.7

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.83 R$9.83

-13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.88 R$15.52

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.95 R$5.12

-42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$35.73 R$192

-25.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.20 R$6.47

20.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$28.1K R$151.0K

-26.33%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$31.3K R$168.3K

-24.96%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$165 R$886

-48.48%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$17.94 R$96.5

30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$24.18 R$130

18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$24.40 R$131

133.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$18.93 R$102

52.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$5.66 R$30.43

-9.19%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$408 R$2,194

-49.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$8,796 R$47.3K

-55.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$72.2 R$389

-39.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$46.11 R$248

-10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$141 R$759

-47.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$64.1 R$345

39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$310 R$1,668

216.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$218 R$1,176

74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$734 R$3,951

132.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$391 R$2,102

175.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,266 R$6,811

211.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$742 R$3,991

730.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$365 R$1,965

101.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.1

-28.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Cuiaba

$218 21.5% 42.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Cuiaba

$265 26% 3.9% $10

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Cuiaba

$107 10.5% 47% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Cuiaba

$207 20.3% 51% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Cuiaba

$146 14.3% 30.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Cuiaba

$36 3.5% 47% $32

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cuiaba

$40 * 3.9% 21.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $310 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $27 in Cuiaba. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $265, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

07:09 7:09 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

650,877

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Cuiaba 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Cuiaba

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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 2 times higher, 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $310 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $27 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,018 in Cuiaba – Cuiaba is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cuiaba is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Cuiaba wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.