Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Seguro and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Seguro: $737 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Porto Seguro
Learn more

Porto Seguro Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Porto Seguro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$737

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Porto Seguro and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Porto Seguro and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $737 per month in Porto Seguro vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Porto Seguro $737
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Porto Seguro vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Porto Seguro $1,242
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,746 per month in Porto Seguro vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Porto Seguro $1,746
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Porto Seguro is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Porto Seguro and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Porto Seguro 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 R$29.52

$10.92 MX$204

-49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.53 R$99.1

$43.37 MX$808

-57.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 R$35.48

$11.78 MX$220

-43.63%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.23

$3.81 MX$71.0

-44.88%

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

$1.10 R$5.87

$1.28 MX$23.90

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.11

$0.78 MX$14.59

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 R$8.87

$3.17 MX$59.0

-47.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 R$15.87

$4.93 MX$92.0

-39.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.88

$1.41 MX$26.22

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 R$7.41

$2.22 MX$41.33

-37.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.32

$1.42 MX$26.42

-3.52%

Eggs

$4.14 R$22.13

$2.52 MX$47.03

64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 R$47.37

$7.26 MX$135

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$21.96

$7.70 MX$143

-46.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 R$41.71

$12.69 MX$237

-38.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R$10.89

$2.78 MX$51.9

-26.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.05

$1.37 MX$25.50

-3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.82

$2.55 MX$47.55

-57.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.75

$2.12 MX$39.58

-31.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.42

$1.94 MX$36.13

-28.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R$6.06

$1.89 MX$35.16

-40.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.65

$1.15 MX$21.37

-40.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.05

$1.18 MX$21.98

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 R$10.75

$4.30 MX$80.1

-53.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 R$29.96

$9.95 MX$185

-43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R$8.52

$1.58 MX$29.52

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R$14.55

$2.67 MX$49.79

1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$6.14

$0.55 MX$10.31

109.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.39 R$227

$26.62 MX$496

59.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 R$6.63

$4.97 MX$92.6

-75.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$3.97

$3.33 MX$62.1

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.90 R$36.91

$5.36 MX$99.8

28.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.91

$1.44 MX$26.92

-10.42%

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

$22.2K R$118.7K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

7.42%

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

$30.9K R$165.4K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

31.83%

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

$48.56 R$260

$84.8 MX$1,581

-42.73%

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

$8.79 R$46.97

$23.41 MX$436

-62.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.06 R$85.9

$28.66 MX$534

-43.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.30 R$119

$57.1 MX$1,063

-60.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.78 R$154

$28.91 MX$539

-0.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 R$35.45

$5.14 MX$95.8

28.99%

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

$235 R$1,258

$207 MX$3,851

13.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,727 R$36.0K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

71.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R$275

$43.35 MX$808

18.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 R$251

$41.44 MX$772

13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 R$439

$74.2 MX$1,383

10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.0 R$353

$89.3 MX$1,664

-26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 R$1,358

$980 MX$18.3K

-74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 R$837

$381 MX$7,099

-58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 R$2,876

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-68.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 R$2,357

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-59.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 R$8,322

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-60.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,137 R$6,079

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-81.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$301 R$1,610

$735 MX$13.7K

-59.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Porto Seguro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Porto Seguro

$199 26.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 28.3% $56

Accommodation & Living

Porto Seguro

$157 21.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 143% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Porto Seguro

$111 15%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 0.8% $0.9

Eating Out

Porto Seguro

$110 15%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 83.6% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto Seguro

$73 10%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 86.4% $63

Getting Around

Porto Seguro

$52 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 2.8% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Porto Seguro

$36 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 89.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Porto Seguro versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Porto Seguro versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $255 – making Porto Seguro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Porto Seguro

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

2 h behind Porto Seguro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,326

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Porto Seguro Playa del Carmen 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Porto Seguro
Playa del Carmen

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

Porto Seguro vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,106 per month in Porto Seguro and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porto Seguro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $737 in Porto Seguro and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 63%.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porto Seguro, where all-in costs run around $737, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Porto Seguro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $737 in Porto Seguro to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Porto Seguro. 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.