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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $643 in Teresopolis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,081 in Teresopolis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,519 in Teresopolis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 101% more than Teresopolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Teresopolis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Teresopolis 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.29 R$16.80

255.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$26.97 R$138

72.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.83 R$34.82

70.57%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.66 R$8.45

146.39%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.37 R$6.99

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.61 R$3.09

36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.18 R$6.00

183.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.75 R$24.24

45.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$0.99 R$5.07

74.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.46 R$7.44

54.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.32 R$6.75

34.09%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.96 R$9.98

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.50 R$43.34

8.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$3.40 R$17.35

162.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.25 R$42.05

52.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.86 R$9.50

62.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.12 R$5.70

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$0.89 R$4.52

139.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.19 R$6.07

89.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.62 R$3.17

222.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.81 R$4.15

154.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.51 R$2.59

131.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.76 R$3.87

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$1.53 R$7.79

202.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.95 R$30.34

79.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.43 R$7.30

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.31 R$6.70

119.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.84 R$4.31

-32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$34.32 R$175

-13.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.93 R$4.74

486.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.94 R$4.81

293.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$2.32 R$11.84

157.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.22 R$6.24

27.05%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$20.4K R$104.1K

9.33%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$30.7K R$156.5K

-15.44%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$28.71 R$146

210.45%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$23.96 R$122

4.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$18.14 R$92.5

73.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$28.44 R$145

138.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$19.31 R$98.5

49.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$6.36 R$32.46

-20.60%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$141 R$719

59.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$2,519 R$12.8K

67.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$25.12 R$128

88.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$26.14 R$133

72.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$66.3 R$338

23.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$46.84 R$239

96.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$353 R$1,800

203.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$156 R$795

159.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$522 R$2,661

270.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$380 R$1,940

242.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,174 R$5,990

240.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$484 R$2,471

54.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.67

7.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Teresopolis: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 in Teresopolis. 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 55% 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 $27.00 in Teresopolis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $167 – making Teresopolis 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 Teresopolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 101%, 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $965 in Teresopolis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Teresopolis, 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $643 in Teresopolis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Teresopolis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Teresopolis, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Teresopolis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Teresopolis – 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 Teresopolis. 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.