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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $662 in Paulista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,040 in Paulista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,418 in Paulista.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than in Paulista, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Paulista 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.83 R$29.67

105.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$14.50 R$73.8

188.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.48 R$33.01

65.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.46 R$7.44

139.73%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.23 R$6.25

17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.34 R$1.76

158.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.60 R$8.16

84.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.21 R$11.28

104.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.92 R$4.71

55.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.20 R$6.12

53.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.88 R$4.49

78.41%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.85 R$9.42

35.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$2.55 R$12.97

224.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.76 R$14.06

205.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$5.29 R$26.91

101.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.79 R$9.10

45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.91 R$4.64

58.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.86 R$4.36

127.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.06 R$5.40

97.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.99 R$5.03

86.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.69 R$3.49

214.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.37 R$1.90

178.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.55 R$2.81

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.96 R$9.97

109.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$3.77 R$19.21

169.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.29 R$6.58

30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.57 R$13.10

-1.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.88 R$4.47

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$39.07 R$199

-33.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.88 R$4.47

267.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.76 R$3.85

217.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$10.62 R$54.1

-69.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.98 R$4.97

34.69%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$12.8K R$65.2K

131.98%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$27.1K R$138.0K

-12.69%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$40.93 R$208

100.37%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$15.70 R$79.9

46.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$18.93 R$96.4

59.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.58 R$115

130.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$21.57 R$110

-14.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.41 R$27.55

-7.95%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$62.6 R$319

215.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,251 R$21.6K

25.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$16.28 R$82.9

118.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.94 R$219

-6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$45.29 R$231

73.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$53.9 R$275

64.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$317 R$1,615

198.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$219 R$1,114

116.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$582 R$2,962

182.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$424 R$2,157

185.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,592 R$8,107

154.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,072 R$5,460

503.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Paulista: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $317 in Paulista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Paulista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $124 per month, with Paulista 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 Paulista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paulista wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paulista the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $994 in Paulista to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $317 in Paulista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $62.6 in Paulista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $662 in Paulista versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paulista but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Paulista the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Paulista delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $662 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paulista hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Paulista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.