Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Passos Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Passos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $829 in Passos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,348 in Passos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,868 in Passos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than Passos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Passos 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$7.40 R$38.11

58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$32.82 R$169

26.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.96 R$35.85

52.87%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.81 R$9.33

94.48%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.22 R$6.30

23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.82 R$4.22

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.78 R$9.15

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.85 R$14.68

56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.01 R$5.18

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.75 R$9.00

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.19 R$6.13

37.82%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.33 R$11.98

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$9.92 R$51.1

-15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$4.16 R$21.45

100.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$8.43 R$43.44

27.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.17 R$11.18

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.66 R$8.56

-12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.39 R$7.15

36.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.65 R$8.50

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.41 R$7.26

26.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.39 R$7.18

57.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.93 R$4.81

11.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.67 R$3.45

61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$1.84 R$9.47

121.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$8.28 R$42.63

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.37 R$7.05

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$2.09 R$10.76

23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.87 R$4.49

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$37.80 R$195

-30.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.16 R$5.97

181.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$0.58 R$2.97

329.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$7.71 R$39.70

-57.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.08 R$5.54

21.30%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$22.8K R$117.6K

32.61%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$27.9K R$144.0K

-16.17%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$51.9 R$268

59.58%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$16.03 R$82.6

38.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$21.93 R$113

33.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.28 R$115

131.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.95 R$113

-16.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$7.23 R$37.26

-29.88%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$333 R$1,716

-39.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$8,958 R$46.1K

-41.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$55.3 R$285

-33.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$57.4 R$296

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$75.0 R$386

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$77.0 R$396

13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$315 R$1,624

208.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$220 R$1,135

112.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$578 R$2,978

183.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$428 R$2,206

185.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,599 R$8,235

146.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,071 R$5,518

506.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$409 R$2,107

62.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.17

2.24%

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 Passos: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Passos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 62% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Passos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $198 per month, with Passos 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 Passos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Passos differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $829 including rent). Passos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 62% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Passos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Passos – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $829 in Passos versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Passos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Passos 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.

Expats usually find Passos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.