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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $784 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,231 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,678 in Imbituba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$5.41 R$27.38

120.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$27.50 R$139

52.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.48 R$32.78

60.80%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.80 R$9.08

95.00%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.09 R$5.49

39.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.66 R$3.36

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.77 R$8.93

71.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.72 R$13.74

60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$0.93 R$4.71

52.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.51 R$7.63

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.17 R$5.93

39.32%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.95 R$9.85

30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$8.06 R$40.75

6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.69 R$18.67

130.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.12 R$36.03

51.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$2.13 R$10.80

29.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.29 R$6.54

11.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.20 R$6.05

57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.52 R$7.71

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.20 R$6.07

48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.07 R$5.40

107.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.75 R$3.79

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.63 R$3.18

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$2.11 R$10.69

96.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$9.63 R$48.71

8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.27 R$6.41

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$1.99 R$10.06

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.88 R$4.46

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

$38.88 R$197

-33.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.11 R$5.62

189.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.74 R$3.75

237.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.42 R$32.48

-50.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.08 R$5.48

16.67%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$21.1K R$106.7K

40.72%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$27.9K R$141.2K

-15.13%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$60.0 R$304

36.65%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$13.44 R$68.0

69.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$18.51 R$93.6

58.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$22.28 R$113

134.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$21.21 R$107

-13.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$6.23 R$31.54

-20.87%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$272 R$1,374

-25.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$6,589 R$33.3K

-20.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$49.40 R$250

-27.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.89 R$217

-5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$75.1 R$380

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$63.4 R$321

40.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$320 R$1,618

196.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$216 R$1,094

115.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$588 R$2,975

177.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$431 R$2,181

176.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,619 R$8,191

142.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,203 R$6,087

434.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $320 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 $252 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 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,177 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $320 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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 $784 in Imbituba versus $1,259 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 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.