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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $816 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,252 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,689 in Cuiaba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cuiaba 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.54 R$17.73

231.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$17.96 R$89.9

131.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.08 R$30.44

75.00%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.62 R$8.09

117.28%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.96 R$4.82

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.61 R$3.07

59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.24 R$6.23

137.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.19 R$10.94

103.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.06 R$5.32

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.51 R$7.57

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.67 R$8.34

-1.80%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.20 R$16.02

-21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.24 R$56.3

-25.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.45 R$22.25

87.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.13 R$50.7

5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.16 R$10.79

20.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.70 R$8.49

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.78 R$8.89

6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.26 R$11.31

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.09 R$10.47

-14.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.59 R$7.97

37.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.68 R$3.42

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.27 R$6.37

-14.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.08 R$10.39

96.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.17 R$50.9

1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.76 R$8.82

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.24 R$11.20

15.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.88 R$4.41

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$38.75 R$194

-31.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.05 R$5.27

210.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.74 R$3.73

236.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.22 R$31.15

-47.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.00 R$5.00

31.00%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.0K R$105.3K

43.94%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.7K R$138.7K

-15.46%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$61.3 R$307

35.21%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.30 R$91.6

21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$23.56 R$118

24.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$22.56 R$113

128.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$19.91 R$99.7

-7.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.37 R$21.85

16.02%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$248 R$1,242

-19.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,108 R$25.6K

2.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$50.6 R$253

-27.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$45.86 R$230

-13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$137 R$688

-42.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$62.7 R$314

38.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$285 R$1,429

240.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$192 R$962

143.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$564 R$2,823

190.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$316 R$1,581

286.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,279 R$6,398

208.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$800 R$4,003

712.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$426 R$2,131

55.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

18.5

-38.27%

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 Cuiaba: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $285 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 56% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $232 per month, with Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 59% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 56% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $285 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 $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $816 in Cuiaba – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $816 in Cuiaba versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.