Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $694 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
Learn more

Nova Iguacu Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Nova Iguacu

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 Nova Iguacu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $694 in Nova Iguacu.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Nova Iguacu $694

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,129 in Nova Iguacu.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Nova Iguacu $1,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,563 in Nova Iguacu.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Nova Iguacu $1,563

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than in Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Nova Iguacu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$3.37 R$18.48

216.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$28.00 R$154

56.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$7.06 R$38.72

67.00%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$1.79 R$9.82

111.73%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$1.08 R$5.94

20.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.50 R$2.74

66.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$1.52 R$8.32

107.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$1.43 R$7.86

244.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$1.12 R$6.16

25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$1.43 R$7.86

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$1.10 R$6.05

33.64%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$1.87 R$10.28

33.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$7.49 R$41.11

-2.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$2.66 R$14.59

198.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$6.52 R$35.79

97.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$1.26 R$6.92

130.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.27 R$6.97

8.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$0.90 R$4.95

176.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$1.65 R$9.03

23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$0.95 R$5.24

112.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$0.94 R$5.13

102.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$0.39 R$2.12

192.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$0.38 R$2.11

226.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$1.78 R$9.78

139.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$5.48 R$30.07

79.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$0.90 R$4.96

76.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$1.25 R$6.88

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$1.36 R$7.48

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

$46.09 R$253

-40.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$1.05 R$5.78

353.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$1.22 R$6.70

166.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$6.80 R$37.32

-20.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.09 R$5.99

40.37%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$22.3K R$122.2K

-4.74%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$31.2K R$171.1K

-25.40%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$45.05 R$247

85.33%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$11.18 R$61.4

107.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$17.16 R$94.2

60.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$22.13 R$121

154.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$36.33 R$199

-22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$5.59 R$30.69

-10.55%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$67.8 R$372

205.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$1,799 R$9,871

190.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$50.3 R$276

-13.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$34.70 R$190

22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$60.0 R$329

21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$56.1 R$308

57.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$304 R$1,668

227.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$204 R$1,122

87.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$592 R$3,248

182.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$406 R$2,226

166.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

$884 R$4,851

342.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$222 R$1,218

275.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.12

2.97%

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 Nova Iguacu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Nova Iguacu

$204 29.5% 46.5% $178

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Nova Iguacu

$147 21.2% 42.7% $110

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Nova Iguacu

$86 12.4% 56.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Nova Iguacu

$73 10.6% 45.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Nova Iguacu

$90 13% 18.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Nova Iguacu

$33 4.8% 49.9% $33

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Nova Iguacu

$59 8.5% 16.3% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $304 in Nova Iguacu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $28 in Nova Iguacu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $147 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

23:41 11:41 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

785,867

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Nova Iguacu 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Nova Iguacu

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 Nova Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $694 in Nova Iguacu, so Nova Iguacu is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 3.8 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 $304 in Nova Iguacu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $694 in Nova Iguacu – Nova Iguacu is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 41% less than in Nova Iguacu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $694 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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 – Nova Iguacu 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.