Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rio Branco Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rio Branco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $819 in Rio Branco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,288 in Rio Branco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,757 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 55% more than Rio Branco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Rio Branco are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Rio Branco 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.90 R$35.36

68.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$25.16 R$129

87.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.47 R$38.30

59.04%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.94 R$15.08

35.37%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.40 R$7.17

2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.77 R$3.92

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.98 R$10.14

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.00 R$15.35

126.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.01 R$5.18

66.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.62 R$8.31

35.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.22 R$6.27

40.16%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.09 R$10.73

31.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.44 R$48.35

1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.09 R$20.95

120.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$8.41 R$43.11

52.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.19 R$11.24

31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.28 R$6.56

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.20 R$6.16

79.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.54 R$7.92

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.17 R$6.02

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.06 R$5.41

87.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.77 R$3.96

59.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.80 R$4.08

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.50 R$12.81

82.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$7.84 R$40.17

32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.36 R$6.96

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.14 R$10.99

34.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.69 R$3.55

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$43.48 R$223

-33.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.23 R$6.32

338.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.81 R$4.17

360.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$7.93 R$40.65

-27.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.31 R$6.71

17.56%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$23.4K R$120.1K

-3.79%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$32.4K R$165.9K

-19.50%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$73.4 R$376

24.56%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$12.40 R$63.5

103.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$20.33 R$104

53.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$21.70 R$111

209.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$27.05 R$139

7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$3.43 R$17.60

41.69%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$294 R$1,508

-24.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,680 R$39.4K

-44.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$53.7 R$275

-12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$48.23 R$247

-8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$92.7 R$475

-13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$69.6 R$357

33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$340 R$1,744

212.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$189 R$966

107.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$526 R$2,694

308.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$334 R$1,713

280.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,590 R$8,146

151.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,594 R$8,169

307.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$249 R$1,275

204.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.06

3.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Rio Branco: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $340 in Rio Branco. 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 205% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Rio Branco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $190 – making Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 55%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,229 in Rio Branco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio Branco, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $819 in Rio Branco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

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

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rio Branco, where all-in costs run around $819, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Rio Branco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio Branco – 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 Rio Branco. 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.