Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maceio - Alagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maceio - Alagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $833 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,703 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Maceio - Alagoas 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.76 R$23.82

146.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$21.77 R$109

91.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.38 R$26.92

97.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.87 R$9.36

88.24%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.96 R$4.81

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.45 R$2.27

115.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.46 R$7.30

102.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.68 R$13.41

66.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.07 R$5.37

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.30 R$6.49

45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.92 R$4.60

78.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.28 R$11.42

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.48 R$32.45

28.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.25 R$16.26

156.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.24 R$36.22

48.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.43 R$12.15

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.07 R$5.36

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.28 R$6.41

48.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.24 R$6.23

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.32 R$6.63

34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.18 R$5.90

85.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.58 R$2.90

79.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.61 R$3.03

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.89 R$9.47

115.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.15 R$35.77

44.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.44 R$7.20

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.30 R$6.49

98.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.70 R$3.50

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$39.27 R$197

-32.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.38 R$1.88

757.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.32 R$1.62

678.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.18 R$30.95

-47.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.05 R$5.24

24.76%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$24.8K R$124.2K

21.99%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$29.4K R$147.3K

-20.42%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$72.6 R$363

14.18%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.54 R$87.8

26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$15.20 R$76.0

93.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$22.96 R$115

124.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.76 R$109

-15.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.46 R$27.31

-7.14%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$231 R$1,156

-13.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,795 R$24.0K

8.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$49.12 R$246

-24.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$68.0 R$340

-41.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$89.3 R$447

-12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$72.8 R$364

19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$247 R$1,238

293.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$256 R$1,282

82.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$534 R$2,674

207.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$421 R$2,108

189.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,516 R$7,586

160.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$688 R$3,443

844.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$588 R$2,942

12.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.5

20.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $247 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $164 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maceio - Alagoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $247 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $833 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maceio - Alagoas is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.