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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $777 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,223 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Imbituba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 62% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Imbituba 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$5.33 R$26.51

118.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$27.14 R$135

54.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.19 R$30.77

68.01%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.78 R$8.82

102.81%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.13 R$5.59

30.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.61 R$3.02

49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.78 R$8.85

70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.62 R$13.03

70.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.00 R$4.96

38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.51 R$7.51

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.13 R$5.63

42.48%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.94 R$9.64

32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.22 R$40.88

3.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.71 R$18.46

128.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.16 R$35.56

53.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.07 R$10.29

31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.30 R$6.45

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.16 R$5.76

68.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.49 R$7.42

42.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.20 R$5.96

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.07 R$5.30

102.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.74 R$3.69

44.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.65 R$3.24

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.18 R$10.81

92.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.15 R$40.51

26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.27 R$6.33

31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.99 R$9.91

25.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.93 R$4.62

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.96 R$194

-32.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.11 R$5.51

179.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.70 R$3.48

251.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.46 R$32.11

-49.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.05 R$5.21

20.00%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$20.4K R$101.3K

47.98%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$27.7K R$137.8K

-15.44%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$60.7 R$302

38.44%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$13.63 R$67.7

62.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$19.12 R$95.0

55.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.77 R$113

131.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.32 R$106

-13.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.39 R$31.75

-22.54%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$266 R$1,320

-25.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,374 R$31.7K

-16.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$49.35 R$245

-27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$41.30 R$205

-3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$76.1 R$378

3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$63.8 R$317

35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$310 R$1,540

215.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$212 R$1,053

122.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$582 R$2,891

174.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$424 R$2,105

186.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,679 R$8,345

140.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,213 R$6,027

442.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $310 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $27 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $176 per month, with Imbituba 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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,165 in Imbituba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $310 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Imbituba versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.