Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Rio de Janeiro and in Playa del Carmen: $1,185 and $1,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Rio de Janeiro and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.76

$10.67 MX$199

-23.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$43.80 MX$815

-15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.28

$11.79 MX$219

-36.22%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.55

$3.79 MX$70.5

-44.59%

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

$1.36 R$7.47

$1.30 MX$24.14

4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.27

$0.83 MX$15.51

15.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.84

$3.15 MX$58.6

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.89

$4.93 MX$91.8

-33.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.96

$1.41 MX$26.22

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.24

$2.20 MX$40.86

-15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.17

$1.47 MX$27.40

-23.81%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.09

$2.50 MX$46.47

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.4

$7.29 MX$136

35.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.56

$7.95 MX$148

-48.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.7

$12.86 MX$239

-28.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.22

$2.90 MX$53.9

-10.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.26

$1.38 MX$25.74

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.06

$2.49 MX$46.36

-40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.42

$2.03 MX$37.78

-15.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.34

$2.02 MX$37.69

-42.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.48

$1.90 MX$35.42

-47.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.60

$1.14 MX$21.30

-42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.34

$1.24 MX$23.06

-50.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.77

$4.27 MX$79.5

-37.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.53

$9.81 MX$183

-26.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.89

$1.59 MX$29.51

-32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.29

$2.75 MX$51.1

-18.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$0.51 MX$9.58

72.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$287

$27.39 MX$510

91.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$4.76 MX$88.6

-75.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$3.25 MX$60.5

-79.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.80

$5.39 MX$100

61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.53 MX$28.44

-21.57%

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

$21.9K R$120.0K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

3.10%

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

$31.0K R$170.2K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

33.30%

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

$126 R$689

$83.5 MX$1,554

50.46%

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

$10.14 R$55.6

$23.19 MX$431

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$27.61 MX$514

-24.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$56.4 MX$1,050

-49.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$28.19 MX$525

2.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.63

$5.00 MX$93.1

48.00%

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

$537 R$2,947

$207 MX$3,854

159.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.2K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

203.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$212

$43.45 MX$809

-10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$247

$42.54 MX$792

5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$376

$72.8 MX$1,354

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$88.4 MX$1,645

-27.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,213

$995 MX$18.5K

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,693

$382 MX$7,116

28.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,004

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-12.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,077

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-31.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-14.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,518

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-74.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,698

$832 MX$15.5K

-19.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.45

4.19%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 22.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 30% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 14.3% $22

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 44.4% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 14.2% $14

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 16.4% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 53.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $995 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 run about 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $257 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

17:03 5:03 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Playa del Carmen 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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

Rio de Janeiro vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,804 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 Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $768 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,185 versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.