Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jaboatão dos Guararapes Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jaboatão dos Guararapes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $838 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,274 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,710 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 51% more than Jaboatão dos Guararapes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Jaboatão dos Guararapes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Jaboatão dos Guararapes 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.72 R$29.48

102.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$28.65 R$148

64.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.74 R$39.86

53.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.54 R$7.93

158.44%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.04 R$5.34

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.58 R$3.00

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.52 R$7.81

109.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.07 R$15.83

121.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.19 R$6.15

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.03 R$10.45

8.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.51 R$7.78

13.25%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.01 R$10.35

36.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.81 R$40.24

22.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.32 R$22.28

108.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.76 R$39.99

65.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.37 R$7.08

110.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.99 R$5.08

51.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.78 R$4.00

175.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.19 R$6.14

89.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.40 R$7.21

41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.05 R$5.38

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.50 R$2.59

146.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.82 R$4.25

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.99 R$15.42

52.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.97 R$41.08

30.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.14 R$5.86

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.52 R$7.85

89.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.83 R$4.27

-27.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$42.07 R$217

-31.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.20 R$6.16

349.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.77 R$3.96

384.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.17 R$16.33

82.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.28 R$6.58

20.31%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.3K R$119.9K

-3.10%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$32.7K R$168.6K

-20.40%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$114 R$588

-19.97%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.05 R$67.2

93.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$17.52 R$90.3

78.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.74 R$133

161.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$25.77 R$133

12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.00 R$51.5

-51.40%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$276 R$1,423

-19.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,330 R$32.6K

-33.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$43.58 R$225

8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$49.73 R$256

-10.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$75.4 R$388

6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$73.8 R$380

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$335 R$1,725

217.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$203 R$1,044

92.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$653 R$3,367

228.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$337 R$1,737

277.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,842 R$9,492

117.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,295 R$6,671

402.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$301 R$1,552

151.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.75

-2.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Jaboatão dos Guararapes: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $335 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 152% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $179 – making Jaboatão dos Guararapes 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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 51%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,256 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $838 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, where all-in costs run around $838, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Jaboatão dos Guararapes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jaboatão dos Guararapes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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.