Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $835 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $835

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,288 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,288

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,742 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,742

Playa del Carmen costs about 44% more than Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$4.43 R$22.44

145.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$27.29 R$138

62.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.07 R$45.98

29.66%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.37 R$12.02

55.27%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.32 R$6.69

1.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.80 R$4.06

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.95 R$9.88

56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.54 R$17.96

39.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.86 R$4.34

70.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.77 R$8.97

25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.17 R$5.95

26.50%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.03 R$10.28

22.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$6.77 R$34.33

11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.24 R$21.48

87.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$6.65 R$33.73

89.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.31 R$11.71

20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.14 R$5.77

25.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$0.83 R$4.20

215.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.39 R$7.05

53.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.30 R$6.60

55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.18 R$6.00

68.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.97 R$4.93

17.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.63 R$3.19

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$1.96 R$9.95

117.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.14 R$36.19

40.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.09 R$5.51

41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.32 R$11.77

14.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.11 R$5.63

-52.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$29.19 R$148

-5.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.63 R$3.17

677.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.77 R$3.90

345.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$6.81 R$34.50

-21.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.21 R$6.11

19.83%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$22.9K R$115.9K

-7.48%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$30.4K R$154.3K

-24.39%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$66.4 R$337

28.59%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$13.68 R$69.4

71.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$18.93 R$96.0

50.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$21.99 R$111

182.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$19.77 R$100

45.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$3.92 R$19.85

30.10%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$274 R$1,390

-26.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$7,947 R$40.3K

-50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$65.5 R$332

-32.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$55.9 R$283

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$89.7 R$455

-18.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$45.32 R$230

97.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$422 R$2,139

132.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$265 R$1,343

40.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$603 R$3,055

178.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$461 R$2,336

137.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,150 R$10.9K

83.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$835 R$4,231

635.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$537 R$2,724

37.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.23

39.13%

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$265 31.7% 28.9% $108

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$171 20.5% 33.7% $87

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9% 41.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$99 11.9% 27.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$115 13.8% 3.4% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6% 58.8% $43

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$38 4.6% 26.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 37% 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 $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $171 – making Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

480,393

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,252 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, 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 $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. That's a gap of about 44%.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, where all-in costs run around $835, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP – 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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.