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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $702 in Itapetininga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $993 in Itapetininga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,284 in Itapetininga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than Itapetininga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Itapetininga 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.57 R$13.01

361.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$11.53 R$58.4

272.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.13 R$31.03

73.74%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.41 R$7.12

144.68%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.46 R$2.33

226.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.47 R$2.39

102.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.70 R$3.54

332.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.21 R$16.27

43.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.92 R$4.65

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.48 R$7.51

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.06 R$5.36

51.89%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.40 R$7.06

85.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.72 R$23.92

75.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.96 R$14.97

182.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.72 R$28.98

86.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.05 R$10.36

28.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.93 R$4.73

60.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.96 R$4.86

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.95 R$4.83

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.98 R$4.95

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.94 R$4.78

140.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.60 R$3.05

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.47 R$2.37

131.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.64 R$8.31

153.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.68 R$28.77

82.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.92 R$4.68

86.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.25 R$11.39

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.88 R$4.45

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$39.18 R$198

-31.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.88 R$4.45

255.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.78 R$3.96

221.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.33 R$32.04

-50.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.09 R$5.51

16.51%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$18.7K R$94.8K

62.25%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.0K R$136.7K

-12.70%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$72.2 R$365

15.02%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.91 R$40.02

187.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.34 R$103

44.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$20.92 R$106

143.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$22.01 R$111

-16.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.30 R$21.75

14.65%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$127 R$642

55.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,619 R$33.5K

-20.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$26.78 R$136

37.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$20.68 R$105

92.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$76.5 R$387

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$27.00 R$137

231.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$318 R$1,611

200.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$239 R$1,210

99.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$603 R$3,053

172.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$348 R$1,760

252.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,570 R$7,948

149.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,191 R$6,030

442.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$543 R$2,750

22.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Itapetininga: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $318 in Itapetininga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Itapetininga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $138 per month, with Itapetininga 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 Itapetininga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Itapetininga differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $702 including rent). Itapetininga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $318 in Itapetininga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Itapetininga – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $702 in Itapetininga – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $702 in Itapetininga versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Itapetininga but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Itapetininga 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.

Expats usually find Itapetininga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.