Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Itajubá, MG

For one person, living is cheaper in Itajubá, MG: $865 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Itajubá, MG
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Itajubá, MG Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Itajubá, MG

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Itajubá, MG

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $865 in Itajubá, MG.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Itajubá, MG $865

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,275 in Itajubá, MG.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Itajubá, MG $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,685 in Itajubá, MG.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Itajubá, MG $1,685

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 39% more expensive than in Itajubá, MG, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Itajubá, MG 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.51 R$24.28

142.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$23.39 R$126

85.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$4.58 R$24.67

157.21%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.23 R$6.63

209.76%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.15 R$6.16

11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.64 R$3.47

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.82 R$9.79

74.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.01 R$16.20

63.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.03 R$5.53

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.61 R$8.65

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.96 R$5.14

47.92%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.24 R$12.07

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$10.71 R$57.6

-32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.63 R$19.56

112.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$7.46 R$40.13

70.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.86 R$15.38

-2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.56 R$8.42

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.03 R$5.56

147.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.85 R$9.95

14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.06 R$5.72

83.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.05 R$5.68

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.67 R$3.60

71.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.64 R$3.46

84.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$3.01 R$16.20

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.95 R$42.80

25.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.17 R$6.31

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.62 R$8.72

64.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.98 R$5.27

-43.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$44.56 R$240

-40.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.20 R$6.46

314.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.89 R$4.81

274.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$8.93 R$48.07

-39.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.11 R$5.99

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$23.2K R$124.6K

-10.74%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$33.3K R$179.2K

-29.54%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$131 R$704

-35.15%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$10.89 R$58.6

114.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$18.75 R$101

52.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$15.47 R$83.3

268.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$27.22 R$146

6.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$7.92 R$42.60

-35.10%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$586 R$3,152

-64.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$13.2K R$71.1K

-70.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$41.57 R$224

4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$48.41 R$261

-14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$73.4 R$395

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$66.8 R$359

33.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$350 R$1,885

179.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$239 R$1,288

59.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$525 R$2,828

225.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$357 R$1,921

201.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,670 R$8,987

136.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,165 R$6,268

428.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$298 R$1,602

146.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.93

-4.02%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Itajubá, MG: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Itajubá, MG

$239 27.7% 37.2% $142

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Itajubá, MG

$190 21.9% 25.6% $65

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Itajubá, MG

$87 10% 57.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Itajubá, MG

$160 18.5% 17.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Itajubá, MG

$104 12% 7.3% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Itajubá, MG

$31 3.6% 53.5% $36

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Itajubá, MG

$54 6.3% 7.3% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $350 in Itajubá, MG. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $23 in Itajubá, MG for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $190 per month, with Itajubá, MG cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Itajubá, MG

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

23:51 11:51 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

93,073

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Itajubá, MG 6,580 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Itajubá, MG

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 Itajubá, MG: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $865 in Itajubá, MG, so Itajubá, MG is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $350 in Itajubá, MG. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $586 in Itajubá, MG. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $865 in Itajubá, MG versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Itajubá, MG but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Itajubá, MG the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Itajubá, MG wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.