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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $848 in Jacareí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,393 in Jacareí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,937 in Jacareí.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 49% more expensive than in Jacareí, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Jacareí 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.99 R$36.04

65.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$30.97 R$160

52.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.99 R$36.03

69.96%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.15 R$11.08

85.12%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.59 R$8.21

-10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.89 R$4.58

-7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.59 R$13.36

23.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.85 R$14.67

138.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.22 R$6.30

37.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.80 R$9.29

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.14 R$5.87

50.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.44 R$12.57

12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.56 R$44.10

11.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.31 R$22.23

109.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.60 R$49.44

33.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.44 R$12.55

18.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.84 R$9.46

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.80 R$9.30

19.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.75 R$9.04

29.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.28 R$6.60

54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.26 R$6.51

57.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.99 R$5.10

24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.77 R$3.98

55.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.36 R$12.15

92.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.66 R$39.47

35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.68 R$8.65

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.97 R$15.30

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.91 R$4.69

-34.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$48.26 R$249

-40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.29 R$6.64

317.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.33 R$6.83

180.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.39 R$48.37

-38.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.21 R$6.26

27.27%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.4K R$120.6K

-3.69%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$32.4K R$166.9K

-19.57%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$44.45 R$229

105.58%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$11.76 R$60.6

114.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$21.95 R$113

42.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$24.79 R$128

171.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$23.59 R$122

23.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.83 R$40.36

-37.93%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$273 R$1,406

-18.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,541 R$38.9K

-43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$53.8 R$277

-12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$37.19 R$192

19.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$93.1 R$480

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$59.4 R$306

55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$368 R$1,895

188.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$241 R$1,243

61.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$674 R$3,473

218.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$433 R$2,230

193.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,845 R$9,505

116.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,004 R$5,175

547.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.12

2.97%

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 Jacareí: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $368 in Jacareí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Jacareí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $209 per month, with Jacareí 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 Jacareí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,272 in Jacareí 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $848 in Jacareí versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jacareí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.