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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $815 in Passos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,317 in Passos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,819 in Passos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Passos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Passos 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$7.38 R$37.31

61.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$32.10 R$162

30.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.58 R$33.28

58.36%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.80 R$9.09

95.00%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.27 R$6.41

19.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.77 R$3.88

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.83 R$9.26

66.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.72 R$13.75

60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$0.95 R$4.81

49.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.80 R$9.11

1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.18 R$5.99

38.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$2.32 R$11.71

9.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$10.00 R$50.6

-14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.07 R$20.60

108.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$8.19 R$41.45

31.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$2.09 R$10.60

31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.68 R$8.51

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.44 R$7.29

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.75 R$8.84

24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.40 R$7.10

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.39 R$7.05

59.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$1.02 R$5.14

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.68 R$3.45

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$1.77 R$8.97

134.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$7.97 R$40.32

31.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.33 R$6.71

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$2.00 R$10.12

29.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.89 R$4.50

-42.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

$37.84 R$191

-31.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.16 R$5.87

176.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.58 R$2.92

331.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$7.56 R$38.22

-57.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.03 R$5.22

22.33%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$22.2K R$112.2K

33.79%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$28.7K R$145.2K

-17.49%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$51.9 R$263

57.93%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$16.61 R$84.0

36.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$22.54 R$114

30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$22.26 R$113

134.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$21.33 R$108

-13.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$7.13 R$36.04

-30.86%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$334 R$1,688

-39.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$8,851 R$44.8K

-41.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$54.5 R$275

-34.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$57.0 R$288

-29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$74.5 R$377

7.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$75.1 R$380

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$310 R$1,569

205.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$217 R$1,098

114.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$584 R$2,955

178.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$438 R$2,216

172.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,632 R$8,253

141.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,033 R$5,227

522.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$418 R$2,114

57.54%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Passos: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $310 in Passos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% 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 $32.00 in Passos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $197 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,259 vs $815 including rent). Passos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $310 in Passos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% 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 $32.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $815 in Passos versus $1,259 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.