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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $677 in Passo Fundo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,124 in Passo Fundo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,571 in Passo Fundo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 91% more expensive than Passo Fundo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Passo Fundo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.47 R$27.67

114.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$27.27 R$138

52.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.27 R$31.70

69.70%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$0.92 R$4.64

282.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.10 R$5.57

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.56 R$2.83

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.46 R$7.40

102.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.78 R$9.02

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.86 R$4.34

60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.44 R$7.28

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.10 R$5.57

49.09%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.12 R$10.74

18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.70 R$28.84

46.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.53 R$22.94

84.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.14 R$46.25

17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.01 R$10.15

29.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.70 R$3.53

108.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.28 R$6.48

48.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.70 R$3.56

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.09 R$5.54

63.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.06 R$5.38

106.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.64 R$3.23

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.62 R$3.12

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.98 R$10.02

106.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$8.05 R$40.71

28.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.75 R$3.79

128.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.81 R$9.14

42.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.87 R$4.39

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$39.20 R$198

-32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.10 R$5.55

196.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.02 R$5.15

144.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.33 R$26.95

-39.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.10 R$5.59

19.09%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$24.4K R$123.6K

23.95%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$27.6K R$139.7K

-15.15%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$34.18 R$173

142.45%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$6.83 R$34.58

225.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$17.86 R$90.4

64.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$18.32 R$92.7

181.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.47 R$109

-14.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.45 R$22.53

13.93%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$309 R$1,562

-34.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,130 R$36.1K

-26.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$49.20 R$249

-24.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$53.6 R$271

-25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$80.7 R$408

-2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$62.0 R$313

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$311 R$1,573

212.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$179 R$906

161.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$633 R$3,203

159.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$355 R$1,795

244.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$865 R$4,377

356.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$636 R$3,215

922.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$713 R$3,606

-6.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Passo Fundo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $311 in Passo Fundo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Passo Fundo pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Passo Fundo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $165 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Passo Fundo earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $311 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 $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $677 in Passo Fundo – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $677 in Passo Fundo versus $1,297 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 91% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.