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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $799 in Joinville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,287 in Joinville, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,776 in Joinville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Joinville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Joinville are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Joinville 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$7.34 R$37.53

59.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$36.68 R$188

14.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$6.16 R$31.50

70.62%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.39 R$7.12

158.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.01 R$5.16

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.61 R$3.13

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.76 R$14.15

7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.45 R$12.55

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$0.87 R$4.47

60.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.32 R$6.73

42.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.76 R$3.88

105.26%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.50 R$12.81

4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$7.29 R$37.32

14.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.11 R$15.90

168.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.20 R$41.96

32.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.32 R$6.74

105.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.11 R$5.70

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.16 R$5.93

61.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.38 R$7.05

58.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.15 R$5.89

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.88 R$4.48

153.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.98 R$4.99

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.70 R$3.59

55.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.85 R$14.59

47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$9.35 R$47.82

11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.03 R$5.28

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.87 R$14.70

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$1.02 R$5.23

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$49.97 R$256

-47.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.79 R$9.14

72.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.06 R$5.40

126.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$8.58 R$43.92

-63.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.04 R$5.30

25.96%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$24.4K R$124.8K

22.22%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$28.8K R$147.4K

-19.04%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$53.8 R$275

51.19%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$13.21 R$67.6

70.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$20.71 R$106

45.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$22.61 R$116

134.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$21.84 R$112

-15.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$7.63 R$39.05

-35.52%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$268 R$1,369

-24.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$5,544 R$28.4K

-6.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$45.61 R$233

-21.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$71.8 R$367

-44.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$79.8 R$408

-0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$61.4 R$314

40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$270 R$1,381

262.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$209 R$1,071

124.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$554 R$2,835

198.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$410 R$2,096

193.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,909 R$9,768

107.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,297 R$6,636

409.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$667 R$3,412

1.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.2

11.96%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Joinville: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $270 in Joinville. 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 1% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Joinville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $169 – making Joinville 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 Joinville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Joinville, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,199 in Joinville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 49% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $37.00 in Joinville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Joinville, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Joinville it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Joinville costs $799 versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Joinville. 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.