Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Foz do Iguaçu

For one person, living is cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu: $893 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Foz do Iguaçu
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Foz do Iguaçu Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Foz do Iguaçu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $893 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Foz do Iguaçu $893

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,354 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Foz do Iguaçu $1,354

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,816 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Foz do Iguaçu $1,816

Playa del Carmen costs about 35% more than Foz do Iguaçu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Foz do Iguaçu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Foz do Iguaçu 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$6.27 R$31.79

73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$39.97 R$203

10.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.72 R$34.08

75.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.88 R$9.53

95.74%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.27 R$6.45

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.60 R$3.06

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.57 R$7.93

94.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.81 R$14.24

75.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.96 R$4.88

53.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.50 R$7.60

48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.72 R$8.70

-13.95%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.74 R$13.91

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.20 R$41.54

-8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.09 R$20.73

94.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$8.34 R$42.29

50.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.20 R$11.17

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.19 R$6.05

20.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.02 R$5.17

156.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.26 R$6.39

69.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.04 R$5.26

94.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.04 R$5.26

91.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.82 R$4.15

39.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.90 R$4.58

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.94 R$14.91

44.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$8.21 R$41.63

22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.85 R$9.39

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.79 R$14.13

-4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.02 R$5.17

-48.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$53.8 R$273

-48.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.04 R$5.30

371.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.45 R$7.35

136.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.21 R$6.14

19.83%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$18.8K R$95.1K

12.79%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$71.6 R$363

19.17%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$19.94 R$101

17.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$20.30 R$103

40.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$20.39 R$103

205.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$6.02 R$30.53

376.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$8.41 R$42.65

-39.36%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$248 R$1,256

-18.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$45.87 R$233

-3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$17.99 R$91.2

129.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$49.25 R$250

47.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$38.97 R$198

129.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$362 R$1,835

170.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$304 R$1,540

22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$670 R$3,397

150.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$455 R$2,308

140.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,249 R$6,332

216.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$887 R$4,499

591.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$382 R$1,938

92.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.16

40.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Foz do Iguaçu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Foz do Iguaçu

$304 34% 18.5% $69

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Foz do Iguaçu

$192 21.5% 25.8% $67

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Foz do Iguaçu

$114 12.8% 43.1% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Foz do Iguaçu

$112 12.5% 18.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Foz do Iguaçu

$68 7.7% 38.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Foz do Iguaçu

$37 4.2% 48.6% $35

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Foz do Iguaçu

$66 7.4% 28% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $362 in Foz do Iguaçu. 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 93% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Foz do Iguaçu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $192 – making Foz do Iguaçu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

285,415

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Foz do Iguaçu 6,220 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $893 in Foz do Iguaçu – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,340 in Foz do Iguaçu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $248 in Foz do Iguaçu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $893 in Foz do Iguaçu to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Foz do Iguaçu. 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.