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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $787 in Joinville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,295 in Joinville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,802 in Joinville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Joinville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Joinville are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Joinville 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.38 R$36.80

61.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.27 R$181

17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.44 R$32.12

64.44%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.41 R$7.03

156.74%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.94 R$4.67

56.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.65 R$3.25

44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.76 R$13.78

11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.47 R$12.32

80.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.88 R$4.39

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.24 R$6.20

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.83 R$4.14

96.39%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.50 R$12.46

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.05 R$35.18

16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.08 R$15.36

169.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.00 R$39.93

38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.30 R$6.49

103.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.12 R$5.60

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.18 R$5.89

68.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.38 R$6.88

50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.16 R$5.79

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.88 R$4.39

147.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.02 R$5.09

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.71 R$3.53

46.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.85 R$14.21

39.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.53 R$47.57

7.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.99 R$4.95

74.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.00 R$14.99

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.02 R$5.07

-49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$50.1 R$250

-46.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.85 R$9.21

69.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.01 R$5.04

137.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.58 R$42.80

-63.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.04 R$5.18

22.12%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$24.1K R$120.2K

28.20%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.0K R$145.0K

-19.74%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$52.9 R$264

55.12%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.14 R$65.6

70.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$20.43 R$102

45.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.81 R$114

127.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.81 R$109

-14.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.43 R$37.08

-33.11%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$274 R$1,368

-27.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$5,583 R$27.9K

-5.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$45.27 R$226

-19.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$73.3 R$366

-45.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$82.3 R$410

-2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$59.5 R$297

49.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$278 R$1,387

246.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$207 R$1,032

124.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$564 R$2,812

183.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$410 R$2,044

195.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,919 R$9,576

105.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,283 R$6,402

402.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$682 R$3,404

5.62%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Joinville: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 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 6% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Joinville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $168 – 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 63% more than Joinville, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,181 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $36.00 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 $787, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $787 versus $1,287 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.