Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Passo Fundo

For one person, living is cheaper in Passo Fundo: $830 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Passo Fundo
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Passo Fundo Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Passo Fundo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Passo Fundo

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 Passo Fundo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $830 in Passo Fundo.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Passo Fundo $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,436 in Passo Fundo.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Passo Fundo $1,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,042 in Passo Fundo.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Passo Fundo $2,042

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 45% more expensive than in Passo Fundo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Passo Fundo 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$5.49 R$29.35

98.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$30.21 R$162

43.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$6.52 R$34.86

80.67%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.83 R$9.78

108.20%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.26 R$6.74

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.77 R$4.13

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.25 R$12.01

40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$2.85 R$15.24

72.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$0.87 R$4.63

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$1.54 R$8.25

44.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$0.72 R$3.87

97.22%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$2.22 R$11.86

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$9.71 R$51.9

-25.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.54 R$24.29

69.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$9.23 R$49.32

37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.21 R$11.82

25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.13 R$6.06

21.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$0.96 R$5.13

165.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.24 R$6.64

70.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.18 R$6.29

64.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.05 R$5.63

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.81 R$4.34

41.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.72 R$3.86

63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$2.27 R$12.15

89.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$7.64 R$40.86

30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.09 R$5.85

44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$2.00 R$10.69

33.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.14 R$6.11

-51.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$49.26 R$263

-45.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.18 R$6.29

321.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.75 R$4.00

344.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$7.55 R$40.36

-29.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.11 R$5.95

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$21.9K R$117.0K

-5.54%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$31.3K R$167.6K

-25.13%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$70.4 R$377

20.39%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$8.26 R$44.18

183.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$19.80 R$106

44.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$26.46 R$141

115.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$16.70 R$89.3

73.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$5.89 R$31.49

-12.73%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$176 R$939

17.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$6,811 R$36.4K

-42.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$46.77 R$250

-7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$55.1 R$295

-24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$93.6 R$501

-20.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$75.0 R$401

18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$301 R$1,609

225.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$217 R$1,159

75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$730 R$3,903

133.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$654 R$3,497

64.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,863 R$9,960

111.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$1,656 R$8,851

271.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$652 R$3,487

12.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.5

-0.43%

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 Passo Fundo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Passo Fundo

$217 26.1% 43.1% $164

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Passo Fundo

$186 22.4% 27.1% $69

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Passo Fundo

$111 13.3% 45.4% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Passo Fundo

$98 11.9% 28% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Passo Fundo

$122 14.7% 9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Passo Fundo

$38 4.6% 43.2% $29

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Passo Fundo

$59 7.1% 16.5% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $301 in Passo Fundo. 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $30 in Passo Fundo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $186 per month, with Passo Fundo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Passo Fundo

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

23:52 11:52 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

206,215

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Passo Fundo 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Passo Fundo

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 Passo Fundo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Passo Fundo is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $301 in Passo Fundo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Passo Fundo – a meal for two runs $30 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $830 in Passo Fundo – Passo Fundo is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $830 in Passo Fundo versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Passo Fundo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Passo Fundo 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 – Passo Fundo 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.