Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Tinto and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,690 in Rio Tinto, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Rio Tinto
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Rio Tinto Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Rio Tinto

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,690

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,690 per month in Rio Tinto vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rio Tinto $1,690
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,591 per month in Rio Tinto vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rio Tinto $2,591
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,491 per month in Rio Tinto vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rio Tinto $3,491
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Rio Tinto costs about 40% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio Tinto sits 25% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.73 €11.32

$10.86 MX$201

17.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.59 €44.11

$44.21 MX$817

12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €8.06

$11.76 MX$217

-22.96%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.78

$3.68 MX$68.0

-45.65%

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

$1.99 €1.77

$1.34 MX$24.79

48.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$0.82 MX$15.24

82.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 €2.68

$3.06 MX$56.6

-1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.52

$4.94 MX$91.2

-42.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.47 MX$27.17

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.22 MX$40.95

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.48 MX$27.32

7.43%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.60

$2.49 MX$45.99

17.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.53 €13.82

$7.52 MX$139

106.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 €7.38

$7.96 MX$147

4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.69 €18.40

$12.57 MX$232

64.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.78 MX$51.3

-13.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.62 MX$48.37

-19.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.14 MX$39.49

5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.02 MX$37.38

-15.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.99 MX$36.74

6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.14 MX$21.01

41.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.20 MX$22.18

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €6.06

$4.26 MX$78.7

59.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 €4.42

$10.02 MX$185

-50.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.54 MX$28.41

-12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.66 MX$49.17

-7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.53 MX$9.73

233.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.29 €40.29

$27.51 MX$508

64.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.89

$4.90 MX$90.6

-10.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 €0.41

$3.43 MX$63.5

-86.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.56 €12.06

$5.38 MX$99.4

152.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.45 MX$26.76

48.28%

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

$32.8K €29.2K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

55.23%

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

$37.4K €33.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

62.27%

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

$110 €97.9

$85.4 MX$1,577

28.98%

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

$17.50 €15.57

$23.46 MX$434

-25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.98 €38.23

$28.43 MX$525

51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 €36.62

$62.2 MX$1,149

-33.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.82 €14.96

$28.68 MX$530

-41.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.68 €7.72

$5.10 MX$94.3

70.20%

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

$429 €381

$201 MX$3,715

113.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,343 €5,642

$3,947 MX$72.9K

60.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €99.6

$44.39 MX$820

152.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 €31.85

$41.35 MX$764

-13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 €66.4

$72.7 MX$1,344

2.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 €68.3

$89.6 MX$1,656

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$979 MX$18.1K

-4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €703

$373 MX$6,887

112.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 €1,863

$1,681 MX$31.1K

24.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 €1,277

$1,095 MX$20.2K

31.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 €2,667

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-24.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 €2,039

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-62.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 €1,137

$738 MX$13.6K

73.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

11.45

-71.44%

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

Last update for Rio Tinto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio Tinto

$791 46.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 52.9% $418

Groceries & Markets

Rio Tinto

$289 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 10.6% $31

Eating Out

Rio Tinto

$188 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 6.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Tinto

$171 10.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 19.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Tinto

$135 8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 17.1% $23

Getting Around

Rio Tinto

$59 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 12.5% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Tinto

$59 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 23.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $931 in Rio Tinto versus $979 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 73% higher in Rio Tinto, 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 $50.0 in Rio Tinto versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Rio Tinto

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

19:16 7:16 PM

6 h behind Rio Tinto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,086

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio Tinto Playa del Carmen 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Rio Tinto is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,535 per month in Rio Tinto 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 Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,690 in Rio Tinto and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 40%.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Rio Tinto at $1,690. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio Tinto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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