Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Paulo Afonso Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Paulo Afonso

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $775 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,230 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,686 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Paulo Afonso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Paulo Afonso are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Paulo Afonso 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.52 R$28.02

112.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$26.75 R$136

56.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.47 R$32.81

62.44%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.78 R$9.04

101.69%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.13 R$5.73

33.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.63 R$3.18

46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.79 R$9.07

65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.68 R$13.59

64.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.00 R$5.07

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.51 R$7.67

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.19 R$6.03

31.09%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.95 R$9.92

33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.23 R$41.78

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.56 R$18.04

134.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.21 R$36.61

50.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.16 R$10.94

25.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.27 R$6.43

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.19 R$6.01

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.52 R$7.73

44.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.15 R$5.83

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.11 R$5.64

100.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.76 R$3.83

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.61 R$3.09

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.17 R$11.03

93.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.03 R$40.73

29.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.27 R$6.46

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.06 R$10.43

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.86 R$4.37

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$38.72 R$197

-32.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.10 R$5.59

180.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.71 R$3.59

238.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.21 R$31.52

-49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.03 R$5.23

27.18%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.3K R$103.2K

46.56%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.6K R$139.9K

-15.43%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$59.7 R$303

36.15%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$13.71 R$69.6

64.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.64 R$94.6

61.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.65 R$115

133.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.78 R$111

-15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.39 R$32.43

-23.00%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$274 R$1,391

-26.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,461 R$32.8K

-19.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$49.83 R$253

-27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$42.23 R$214

-4.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.5 R$383

5.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$65.3 R$331

32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$318 R$1,616

207.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$217 R$1,099

117.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$583 R$2,959

183.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$438 R$2,220

175.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,778 R$9,020

122.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,272 R$6,453

419.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$239 R$1,210

183.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Paulo Afonso: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $318 in Paulo Afonso. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 184% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Paulo Afonso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $175 – making Paulo Afonso the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Paulo Afonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Paulo Afonso, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,162 in Paulo Afonso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paulo Afonso, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $775 in Paulo Afonso. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Paulo Afonso. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paulo Afonso, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Paulo Afonso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Paulo Afonso costs $775 versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Paulo Afonso. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.