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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $773 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,241 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,709 in Itaquaquecetuba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Itaquaquecetuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itaquaquecetuba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Itaquaquecetuba 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$5.42 R$27.57

116.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$26.58 R$135

57.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.21 R$31.58

67.63%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.73 R$8.81

108.67%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.09 R$5.54

33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.67 R$3.39

44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.78 R$9.03

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.76 R$14.03

67.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$0.96 R$4.87

48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.45 R$7.38

31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.19 R$6.07

31.93%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.96 R$9.99

34.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.41 R$42.77

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$3.73 R$18.97

130.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.35 R$37.40

49.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.07 R$10.54

30.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.30 R$6.63

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.18 R$6.01

61.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.46 R$7.44

48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.20 R$6.10

55.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.11 R$5.63

100.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.69 R$3.52

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.63 R$3.20

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.10 R$10.66

98.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.97 R$40.57

29.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.27 R$6.46

32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.99 R$10.14

27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.94 R$4.76

-41.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$38.08 R$194

-30.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.05 R$5.34

204.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.76 R$3.88

223.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$6.34 R$32.25

-49.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.08 R$5.50

22.22%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$20.4K R$103.6K

48.04%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$27.7K R$140.9K

-15.52%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$59.7 R$304

36.36%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$13.45 R$68.4

66.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$18.69 R$95.1

60.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$22.69 R$115

127.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$21.75 R$111

-15.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.18 R$31.44

-16.50%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$271 R$1,377

-25.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$6,603 R$33.6K

-19.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$49.57 R$252

-28.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$42.70 R$217

-5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$74.9 R$381

4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$63.6 R$323

36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$312 R$1,586

204.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$212 R$1,079

125.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$585 R$2,974

177.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$435 R$2,213

181.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,646 R$8,374

143.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,233 R$6,273

424.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 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 15, 2026

Last update for Itaquaquecetuba: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $312 in Itaquaquecetuba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Itaquaquecetuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $175 – making Itaquaquecetuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Itaquaquecetuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, $773 in Itaquaquecetuba – roughly 67% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,160 in Itaquaquecetuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itaquaquecetuba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Itaquaquecetuba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Itaquaquecetuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Itaquaquecetuba, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Itaquaquecetuba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $773 in Itaquaquecetuba to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Itaquaquecetuba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.