Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Porto Velho Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Porto Velho

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $768 in Porto Velho, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,230 in Porto Velho, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,692 in Porto Velho, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Porto Velho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Porto Velho are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Porto Velho 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$4.59 R$23.29

160.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$25.75 R$131

62.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$5.98 R$30.34

74.25%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$1.61 R$8.17

118.01%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.15 R$5.83

32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.36 R$1.85

152.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$1.82 R$9.25

67.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$2.73 R$13.87

60.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$1.01 R$5.12

40.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$1.47 R$7.44

24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.18 R$5.98

38.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.02 R$10.25

25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$8.26 R$41.92

3.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.59 R$18.24

136.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.06 R$35.85

52.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$2.13 R$10.83

29.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.25 R$6.34

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$1.14 R$5.79

65.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.44 R$7.31

50.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$1.19 R$6.04

49.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$1.06 R$5.38

109.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.71 R$3.59

50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.62 R$3.15

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$2.17 R$11.03

91.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$7.36 R$37.36

41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$1.20 R$6.11

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$1.99 R$10.08

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.86 R$4.37

-40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$39.05 R$198

-33.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.11 R$5.64

189.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.75 R$3.79

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$6.37 R$32.32

-49.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.09 R$5.53

15.60%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$20.8K R$105.7K

42.53%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$27.7K R$140.4K

-14.40%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$59.4 R$302

38.05%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$13.39 R$67.9

69.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$18.91 R$96.0

55.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$22.81 R$116

128.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$21.20 R$108

-12.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$6.28 R$31.85

-21.50%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$273 R$1,384

-25.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$6,597 R$33.5K

-20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$49.46 R$251

-27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$42.67 R$217

-5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$75.9 R$385

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$64.4 R$327

38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$321 R$1,629

195.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$213 R$1,083

118.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$589 R$2,989

176.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$434 R$2,203

174.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$1,669 R$8,469

135.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,221 R$6,196

426.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$409 R$2,078

60.76%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Porto Velho. 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 61% 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 $26.00 in Porto Velho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $172 – making Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 64%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,152 in Porto Velho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porto Velho, 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $768 in Porto Velho. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Porto Velho. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porto Velho, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Porto Velho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Porto Velho – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Porto Velho. 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.