Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Passo Fundo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Passo Fundo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $877 in Passo Fundo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Passo Fundo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,010 in Passo Fundo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 49% more expensive than in Passo Fundo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Passo Fundo 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.86 R$30.05

104.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$31.52 R$162

50.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.71 R$34.38

75.11%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.99 R$10.22

107.04%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.37 R$7.02

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.83 R$4.26

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.31 R$11.84

38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.85 R$14.62

148.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.00 R$5.13

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.60 R$8.19

34.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.81 R$4.15

118.52%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.37 R$12.14

18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.10 R$51.8

-8.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.71 R$24.17

95.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.74 R$49.90

29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.32 R$11.89

27.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.20 R$6.17

31.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.94 R$4.80

136.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.29 R$6.64

82.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.19 R$6.08

67.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.07 R$5.46

85.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.90 R$4.60

37.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.77 R$3.93

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.50 R$12.81

84.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.82 R$40.10

34.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.13 R$5.81

49.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.15 R$11.00

28.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.15 R$5.91

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$53.2 R$273

-44.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.25 R$6.39

319.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.84 R$4.29

334.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.99 R$40.96

-27.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.20 R$6.16

28.33%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$22.8K R$116.8K

0.04%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.4K R$171.2K

-22.70%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$71.6 R$367

26.65%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.77 R$44.94

187.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.75 R$106

53.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$23.75 R$122

189.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$17.78 R$91.1

65.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.41 R$32.85

-24.18%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$265 R$1,361

-14.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,891 R$35.3K

-39.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$49.30 R$253

-3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$50.1 R$257

-13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$101 R$516

-20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$77.9 R$399

17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$316 R$1,619

243.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$231 R$1,182

77.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$739 R$3,787

166.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$543 R$2,782

136.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,222 R$6,265

231.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$969 R$4,970

591.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$697 R$3,571

10.99%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Passo Fundo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $316 in Passo Fundo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 11% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Passo Fundo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $195 per month, with Passo Fundo 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 Passo Fundo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Passo Fundo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $316 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 $32.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $877 in Passo Fundo – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $877 in Passo Fundo versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 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.

For families, Passo Fundo 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 Passo Fundo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.