Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Suzano Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Suzano

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $753 in Suzano, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,239 in Suzano, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,724 in Suzano, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Suzano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Suzano are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Suzano 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.84 R$24.53

142.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$32.68 R$166

28.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.70 R$28.93

84.39%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.75 R$8.87

105.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.22 R$6.17

23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.78 R$3.98

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.75 R$8.90

69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.82 R$14.32

56.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.91 R$4.63

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.78 R$9.03

5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.86 R$4.37

81.40%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.81 R$9.20

44.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.15 R$51.5

-18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.93 R$14.89

184.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.18 R$36.42

51.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.42 R$7.19

90.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.69 R$8.56

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.17 R$5.96

59.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.41 R$7.18

55.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.25 R$6.34

48.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.81 R$4.09

175.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.60 R$3.03

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.41 R$2.09

165.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.60 R$8.10

161.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.92 R$30.04

76.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.31 R$6.67

26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.05 R$10.39

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.91 R$4.64

-40.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$38.79 R$197

-32.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.11 R$5.66

177.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.61 R$3.10

293.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$7.81 R$39.65

-59.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.97 R$4.93

35.05%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$22.6K R$114.7K

31.91%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.6K R$134.9K

-12.27%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$38.67 R$196

110.19%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$16.26 R$82.5

38.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$21.88 R$111

37.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.90 R$116

131.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.63 R$110

-14.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.57 R$33.32

-25.11%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$163 R$825

23.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$8,926 R$45.3K

-42.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$53.8 R$273

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$57.6 R$292

-30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$74.2 R$376

7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$77.6 R$394

11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$313 R$1,590

212.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$219 R$1,113

114.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$591 R$2,999

179.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$425 R$2,159

182.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$939 R$4,765

320.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$858 R$4,354

670.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$448 R$2,275

50.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.17

2.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Suzano: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $313 in Suzano. 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 51% 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 $33.00 in Suzano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $168 – making Suzano 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 Suzano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,130 in Suzano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suzano, 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $753 in Suzano. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Suzano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Suzano, where all-in costs run around $753, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Suzano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Suzano – 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 Suzano. 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.