Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $818 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Montes Claros
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Montes Claros Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Montes Claros

🇧🇷 Brazil

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $818 in Montes Claros.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Montes Claros $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,288 in Montes Claros.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Montes Claros $1,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,758 in Montes Claros.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Montes Claros $1,758

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 47% more expensive than in Montes Claros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Montes Claros 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$3.26 R$17.79

227.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$29.27 R$160

49.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$7.33 R$40.03

60.85%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$1.81 R$9.87

109.39%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.19 R$6.47

9.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.69 R$3.77

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$1.35 R$7.35

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.83 R$15.44

74.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.93 R$5.05

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.59 R$8.67

38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.15 R$6.29

27.83%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.08 R$11.35

20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$9.47 R$51.7

-23.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.98 R$21.71

99.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$7.86 R$42.91

63.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.42 R$13.23

19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.22 R$6.65

13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.06 R$5.78

134.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$1.51 R$8.26

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.23 R$6.74

64.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$1.00 R$5.46

90.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.73 R$3.98

56.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.65 R$3.58

90.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.20 R$12.00

94.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$7.21 R$39.39

36.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.25 R$6.82

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.08 R$11.34

32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.92 R$5.02

-44.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$40.11 R$219

-31.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$1.15 R$6.27

313.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.71 R$3.85

357.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$7.12 R$38.88

-24.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.99 R$5.40

54.55%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$19.7K R$107.6K

7.65%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$34.4K R$187.6K

-32.29%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$79.0 R$431

5.71%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$10.66 R$58.2

117.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$18.00 R$98.3

53.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$24.05 R$131

134.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$25.54 R$139

10.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$7.42 R$40.52

-32.61%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$296 R$1,616

-30.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$6,015 R$32.8K

-13.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$51.2 R$279

-15.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$45.32 R$247

-6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$81.1 R$443

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$68.1 R$372

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$341 R$1,862

191.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$240 R$1,313

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$645 R$3,524

159.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$453 R$2,473

138.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$1,777 R$9,703

119.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$1,287 R$7,028

376.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$373 R$2,034

123.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Montes Claros

$240 29.4% 37.1% $142

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Montes Claros

$182 22.3% 29.1% $75

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Montes Claros

$90 11% 55.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Montes Claros

$108 13.2% 19.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Montes Claros

$111 13.5% 0.6% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Montes Claros

$39 4.8% 41.5% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Montes Claros

$48 5.9% 3.9% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $341 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $29 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $182 per month, with Montes Claros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Montes Claros

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

414,240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Montes Claros 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $818 in Montes Claros, so Montes Claros is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 2.2 times higher, 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $341 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 32% less than in Montes Claros. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $296 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $818 in Montes Claros versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Montes Claros wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.