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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $801 in Jacareí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,295 in Jacareí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,789 in Jacareí.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than Jacareí, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Jacareí 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.25 R$31.62

89.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$32.01 R$162

34.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.67 R$33.75

59.67%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.73 R$8.74

99.42%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.38 R$6.98

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.82 R$4.15

15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.77 R$8.95

71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.71 R$13.74

70.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.13 R$5.71

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.53 R$7.74

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.19 R$6.03

35.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.38 R$12.05

8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.02 R$40.59

2.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.76 R$19.04

122.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.64 R$43.73

23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.11 R$10.66

24.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.80 R$9.10

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.37 R$6.96

40.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.59 R$8.07

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.24 R$6.30

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.12 R$5.68

101.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.74 R$3.72

43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.65 R$3.29

67.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.78 R$9.00

133.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.64 R$38.67

35.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.37 R$6.94

25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.00 R$10.14

30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.87 R$4.39

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$38.90 R$197

-30.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.93 R$4.71

236.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.59 R$2.96

325.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.67 R$38.84

-58.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.00 R$5.07

27.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.5K R$114.1K

34.82%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.5K R$144.5K

-17.43%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$47.93 R$243

73.17%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$14.99 R$75.9

51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$21.96 R$111

34.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.38 R$113

127.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.44 R$109

-14.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.52 R$27.95

-10.69%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$309 R$1,564

-36.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,760 R$34.2K

-21.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$54.8 R$277

-32.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$51.9 R$262

-23.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$74.4 R$377

7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$71.5 R$362

25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$318 R$1,612

200.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$220 R$1,115

116.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$592 R$2,998

177.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$431 R$2,181

184.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,593 R$8,063

146.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,155 R$5,849

459.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Jacareí: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Jacareí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $187 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 59% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,201 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $318 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $309 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $801 in Jacareí versus $1,271 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 $801 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.