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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $802 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,298 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,793 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% more than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Guarulhos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Guarulhos 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.15 R$36.20

64.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$32.78 R$166

26.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.91 R$34.94

53.98%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.74 R$8.78

102.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.21 R$6.14

24.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.89 R$4.48

8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.14 R$10.81

37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.85 R$14.41

56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.02 R$5.16

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.75 R$8.85

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.15 R$5.82

42.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.40 R$12.16

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.33 R$52.2

-19.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.01 R$20.28

107.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.37 R$42.36

28.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.14 R$10.85

21.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.65 R$8.37

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.39 R$7.01

36.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.68 R$8.49

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.37 R$6.95

29.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.29 R$6.53

69.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.93 R$4.73

11.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.69 R$3.49

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$2.10 R$10.63

94.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.95 R$50.3

3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.30 R$6.57

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.22 R$11.24

16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.02 R$5.17

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$38.02 R$192

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.06 R$5.34

207.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.63 R$3.18

295.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$7.73 R$39.11

-57.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.06 R$5.36

23.58%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$21.5K R$108.6K

41.01%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.1K R$142.2K

-16.61%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$52.3 R$265

58.48%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$13.10 R$66.3

69.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$19.90 R$101

47.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$14.02 R$70.9

268.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.73 R$110

-15.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.03 R$35.58

-27.88%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$333 R$1,683

-39.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$8,817 R$44.6K

-40.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$52.0 R$263

-29.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$42.18 R$213

-5.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$74.9 R$379

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$73.5 R$372

18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$317 R$1,603

207.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$216 R$1,092

116.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$591 R$2,988

177.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$427 R$2,158

186.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,938 R$9,806

103.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,325 R$6,705

390.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$368 R$1,862

80.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.17

2.24%

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 Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $317 in Guarulhos. 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 80% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $202 – making Guarulhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,203 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $802 in Guarulhos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $802 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. 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.