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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,243 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,695 in Imbituba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$5.56 R$28.63

110.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$27.26 R$140

52.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.11 R$31.50

74.14%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.80 R$9.29

95.56%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.12 R$5.79

34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.66 R$3.39

46.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.83 R$9.40

61.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.64 R$13.58

68.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.00 R$5.14

38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.47 R$7.55

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.19 R$6.15

37.82%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.96 R$10.10

28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.45 R$43.51

-1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.55 R$18.29

134.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$7.32 R$37.70

46.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.06 R$10.62

26.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.26 R$6.49

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.19 R$6.11

59.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.51 R$7.79

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.18 R$6.08

50.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.09 R$5.63

100.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.70 R$3.61

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.61 R$3.14

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$2.07 R$10.68

97.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$9.78 R$50.4

5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.27 R$6.54

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$2.05 R$10.55

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.86 R$4.41

-40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$38.09 R$196

-30.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.10 R$5.68

196.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$0.76 R$3.90

227.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.52 R$33.58

-50.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.04 R$5.34

25.96%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$20.8K R$106.9K

45.89%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$27.8K R$143.2K

-15.70%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$60.9 R$313

36.19%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$13.61 R$70.1

63.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$19.11 R$98.4

53.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.50 R$116

129.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.40 R$110

-14.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.39 R$32.92

-20.66%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$273 R$1,406

-26.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$6,479 R$33.4K

-19.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$49.30 R$254

-25.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$42.04 R$217

-5.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$74.4 R$383

5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$64.9 R$334

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$315 R$1,621

209.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$218 R$1,123

114.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$593 R$3,056

176.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$431 R$2,220

183.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,728 R$8,902

128.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,076 R$5,543

503.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $178 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,186 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% 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 $791 in Imbituba versus $1,297 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.