Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Goiana

For one person, living is cheaper in Goiana: $858 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Goiana
🇧🇷 Brazil
$858
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $858 in Goiana.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Goiana $858

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,393 in Goiana.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Goiana $1,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,928 in Goiana.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Goiana $1,928

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 42% more expensive than in Goiana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Goiana 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$201
$5.46 R$27.25
100.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$823
$38.62 R$193
16.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$219
$9.82 R$49.04
21.38%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.9
$2.60 R$12.97
46.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.08
$1.11 R$5.55
18.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.72
$0.60 R$3.00
43.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$59.0
$1.63 R$8.14
96.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$92.0
$3.29 R$16.41
52.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.77
$1.46 R$7.30
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.72
$1.63 R$8.12
42.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$1.67 R$8.35
-13.77%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.20
$1.95 R$9.74
26.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$7.36 R$36.73
4.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$145
$4.43 R$22.09
78.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$235
$6.83 R$34.10
87.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.6
$1.41 R$7.05
107.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.11
$1.35 R$6.72
5.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$47.10
$0.76 R$3.81
238.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.24
$1.27 R$6.35
68.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.75
$1.44 R$7.18
35.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.55
$1.12 R$5.57
73.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.13
$0.48 R$2.41
139.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.42
$0.84 R$4.21
45.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$80.3
$1.84 R$9.16
138.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$181
$8.16 R$40.71
20.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.23
$1.14 R$5.71
35.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.86
$1.53 R$7.62
77.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.64
$0.96 R$4.77
-45.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$503
$37.73 R$188
-27.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$90.2
$1.20 R$6.01
309.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.7
$0.75 R$3.74
369.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$3.57 R$17.81
59.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.27
$1.05 R$5.24
46.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$389.9K
$23.9K R$119.5K
-11.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$449.6K
$32.6K R$162.8K
-24.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,535
$80.2 R$401
4.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$441
$13.37 R$66.7
79.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$539
$18.06 R$90.2
62.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,191
$25.99 R$130
149.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$541
$29.91 R$149
-1.50%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$93.4
$8.71 R$43.48
-41.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,813
$236 R$1,178
-11.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$74.3K
$11.9K R$59.5K
-66.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$818
$45.31 R$226
-1.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$772
$50.9 R$254
-17.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,387
$63.2 R$316
19.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,678
$81.6 R$407
11.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.1K
$367 R$1,831
168.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,072
$272 R$1,358
41.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.5K
$609 R$3,040
181.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.4K
$460 R$2,296
140.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.7K
$1,843 R$9,202
117.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.7K
$1,189 R$5,937
425.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Goiana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.9K
$580 R$2,897
30.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
11.75
-2.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Goiana: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Goiana
$272 29.4% $113
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Goiana
$178 31.5% $82
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Goiana
$126 38.3% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Goiana
$112 18.5% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Goiana
$108 4.9% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Goiana
$43 42.2% $32
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Goiana
$47 10.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $367 in Goiana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 31% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Goiana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $178 per month, with Goiana cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇧🇷 Goiana
🕒 Local time
06:45 6:45 AM
08:45 8:45 AM
2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
81,055
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Goiana 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Goiana

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 Goiana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Goiana?
Playa del Carmen and Goiana differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $858 including rent). Goiana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Playa del Carmen or Goiana?
Average pay runs 31% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Goiana?
Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $367 in Goiana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Goiana – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Goiana?
All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $858 in Goiana – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $858 in Goiana versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Goiana but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Goiana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Goiana?
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.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Goiana?
Expats usually find Goiana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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