Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Volta Redonda Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Volta Redonda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $740 in Volta Redonda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,196 in Volta Redonda, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,653 in Volta Redonda, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 70% more than Volta Redonda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Volta Redonda are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Volta Redonda 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.08 R$36.07

69.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$26.58 R$135

57.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.49 R$27.93

95.81%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.09 R$10.64

67.46%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.18 R$6.03

22.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.91 R$4.65

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.19 R$11.17

34.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.87 R$14.60

57.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.82 R$4.19

74.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.47 R$7.46

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.11 R$5.64

41.44%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.18 R$11.08

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.13 R$56.7

-25.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.33 R$22.03

94.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.96 R$45.61

19.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.71 R$13.78

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.90 R$9.67

-24.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.69 R$8.60

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.83 R$9.30

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.44 R$7.31

28.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.31 R$6.65

65.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.00 R$5.10

3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.20 R$1.02

435.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.48 R$12.64

65.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.46 R$43.09

20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.27 R$6.45

32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.24 R$6.30

104.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.73 R$3.73

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$38.23 R$195

-31.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.07 R$5.44

201.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.76 R$3.87

217.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$9.42 R$47.96

-65.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.10 R$5.60

20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.8K R$111.2K

36.00%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.3K R$143.8K

-16.24%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$54.2 R$276

51.31%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.96 R$50.7

130.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$20.01 R$102

50.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$17.87 R$91.0

190.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$21.96 R$112

-15.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.38 R$22.28

13.70%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$178 R$906

11.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$15.4K R$78.2K

-65.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$41.81 R$213

-14.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$35.79 R$182

12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$44.98 R$229

75.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$74.3 R$378

19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$244 R$1,244

287.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$180 R$917

163.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$593 R$3,019

177.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$321 R$1,632

277.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$819 R$4,171

395.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$672 R$3,420

863.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$288 R$1,466

127.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.56

-1.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Volta Redonda: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $244 in Volta Redonda. 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 127% 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 $27.00 in Volta Redonda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $198 – making Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 70%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,110 in Volta Redonda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Volta Redonda, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $740 in Volta Redonda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Volta Redonda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Volta Redonda, where all-in costs run around $740, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Volta Redonda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Volta Redonda – 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 Volta Redonda. 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.