Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $866 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Santa Cruz do Sul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Santa Cruz do Sul $866

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,393 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,393

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,919 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,919

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz do Sul are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Santa Cruz do Sul 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$5.50 R$30.01

94.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$36.04 R$197

21.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$6.30 R$34.41

87.14%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.33 R$12.70

62.66%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.24 R$6.77

4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.02 R$5.59

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.25 R$12.27

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.70 R$14.77

82.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.91 R$4.94

54.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.53 R$8.34

43.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$0.98 R$5.36

50.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.21 R$12.05

13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$9.89 R$54.0

-26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$4.38 R$23.89

81.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$9.10 R$49.69

41.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.23 R$12.19

30.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.35 R$7.40

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.24 R$6.80

100.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$1.48 R$8.06

37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.11 R$6.04

81.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$1.01 R$5.50

88.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.79 R$4.32

44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.74 R$4.01

67.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.28 R$12.45

87.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$7.34 R$40.08

33.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.09 R$5.95

45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.99 R$10.86

38.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.94 R$5.14

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$1.32 R$7.20

260.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.73 R$4.01

345.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$7.69 R$41.99

-29.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.22 R$6.68

25.41%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$21.7K R$118.5K

-2.23%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$32.3K R$176.2K

-27.91%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$72.7 R$397

14.79%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$11.41 R$62.3

103.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$20.47 R$112

34.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$26.21 R$143

115.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$6.74 R$36.79

-25.82%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$520 R$2,839

-60.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$22.8K R$124.8K

-77.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$46.12 R$252

-5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$53.1 R$290

-19.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$94.2 R$514

-22.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$73.3 R$400

20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$524 R$2,863

89.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$288 R$1,571

32.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$890 R$4,861

88.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$591 R$3,225

82.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$372 R$2,029

123.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.5

-0.43%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$288 33.2% 24.8% $95

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$189 21.8% 26.6% $68

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$116 13.5% 41.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$105 12.1% 22.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$120 13.9% 7.9% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$40 4.6% 40.3% $27

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$8.8 * 1% 82.7% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $189 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

133,246

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santa Cruz do Sul 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santa Cruz do Sul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,299 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $524 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That makes Santa Cruz do Sul about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Santa Cruz do Sul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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