Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mindelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $387 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mindelo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Mindelo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $387 in Mindelo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mindelo $387

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $897 in Mindelo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mindelo $897

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,406 in Mindelo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Mindelo $1,406

Playa del Carmen costs about 211% more than Mindelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mindelo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Mindelo 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$8.83 CVE 874

23.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$56.9 CVE 5,632

-23.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.11 CVE 110

243.24%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.26 CVE 124

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$1.03 CVE 102

-24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.73 CVE 271

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$1.49 CVE 148

230.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.44 CVE 142

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$1.10 CVE 109

101.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$0.79 CVE 78.6

79.75%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$2.52 CVE 250

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$15.86 CVE 1,571

-54.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$17.60 CVE 1,743

-27.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.23 CVE 221

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.95 CVE 193

-29.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$2.92 CVE 289

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$2.99 CVE 296

-29.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$0.77 CVE 76.3

151.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.64 CVE 162

15.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$1.04 CVE 103

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.71 CVE 70.3

66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$5.04 CVE 499

-14.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$8.10 CVE 802

22.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.89 CVE 188

-16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$2.05 CVE 203

30.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.41 CVE 40.48

34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$30.74 CVE 3,044

-13.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.51 CVE 149

229.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.48 CVE 146

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$10.18 CVE 1,009

-47.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.75 CVE 173

-17.71%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$3.01 CVE 299

860.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

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

$207 MX$3,848

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$361 CVE 35.8K

372.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$251 CVE 24.9K

327.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mindelo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Mindelo

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Mindelo

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Mindelo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mindelo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mindelo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Mindelo

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mindelo

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $57 in Mindelo. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $237 in Mindelo – so Mindelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

00:02 12:02 AM

4 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

70,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.1 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 99.04 CVE (100 CVE = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mindelo 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mindelo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mindelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 211%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $581 in Mindelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $387 in Mindelo to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.