Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sao Bernardo do Campo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo: $807 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sao Bernardo do Campo
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Sao Bernardo do Campo Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sao Bernardo do Campo $807

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,285 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,285

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,763 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,763

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Sao Bernardo do Campo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sao Bernardo do Campo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Sao Bernardo do Campo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$6.93 R$35.11

56.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$30.15 R$153

46.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$8.92 R$45.20

31.84%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.86 R$9.43

97.85%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.40 R$7.10

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.72 R$3.66

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.21 R$6.14

152.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.02 R$10.23

144.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.89 R$4.50

65.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.63 R$8.25

36.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.22 R$6.21

21.31%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.00 R$10.16

24.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.01 R$50.8

-24.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.50 R$22.81

76.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$8.85 R$44.85

42.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.60 R$13.18

6.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.39 R$7.05

2.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.41 R$7.14

85.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.62 R$8.22

32.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.29 R$6.53

56.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.00 R$5.07

99.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.91 R$4.61

25.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.93 R$4.73

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.21 R$11.19

92.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.59 R$38.48

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.27 R$6.43

21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.01 R$10.17

32.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.07 R$5.42

-50.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.17 R$5.94

318.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.61 R$3.10

462.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$2.95 R$14.98

82.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.14 R$5.78

27.19%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$23.8K R$120.5K

-10.98%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$32.4K R$164.4K

-29.01%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$80.4 R$408

6.13%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$11.96 R$60.6

96.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$18.64 R$94.5

52.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$24.36 R$124

155.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$33.25 R$169

-13.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$6.78 R$34.35

-24.78%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$205 R$1,040

-2.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$6,569 R$33.3K

-39.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$38.76 R$197

14.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$39.91 R$202

3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$84.2 R$427

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$52.7 R$267

70.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$352 R$1,786

178.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$231 R$1,172

61.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$780 R$3,953

115.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$444 R$2,252

146.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,578 R$8,000

150.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,118 R$5,666

448.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$532 R$2,696

38.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sao Bernardo do Campo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$231 28.6% 38% $142

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$198 24.6% 23.2% $60

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$123 15.3% 38.5% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$111 13.8% 19.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$97 12% 13.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$38 4.7% 47.6% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$8.5 * 1.1% 83.6% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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 39% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $198 – making Sao Bernardo do Campo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Sao Bernardo do Campo

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

13:03 1:03 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

810,729

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sao Bernardo do Campo 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,211 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $205 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where all-in costs run around $807, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sao Bernardo do Campo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Bernardo do Campo – 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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.