Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Boa Vista and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $821 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index
59

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

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Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$821

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $821 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $821
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,320 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,819 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,819
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Sao Joao da Boa Vista is about 32% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sao Joao da Boa Vista and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sao Joao da Boa Vista 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 R$28.07

$10.86 MX$201

-48.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.20 R$118

$44.21 MX$817

-47.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 R$36.09

$11.76 MX$217

-39.46%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.00

$3.68 MX$68.0

-46.47%

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

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.34 MX$24.79

-8.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.77

$0.82 MX$15.24

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.21

$3.06 MX$56.6

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.34

$4.94 MX$91.2

-58.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.47 MX$27.17

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.21

$2.22 MX$40.95

-27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.95

$1.48 MX$27.32

-33.78%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.32

$2.49 MX$45.99

-2.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 R$51.0

$7.52 MX$139

33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$25.01

$7.96 MX$147

-38.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 R$51.3

$12.57 MX$232

-19.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R$9.87

$2.78 MX$51.3

-29.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.21

$1.43 MX$26.37

-14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.62 MX$48.37

-62.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$2.14 MX$39.49

-24.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.12

$2.02 MX$37.38

-59.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.85

$1.99 MX$36.74

-61.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.24

$1.14 MX$21.01

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.99

$1.20 MX$22.18

-34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.45

$4.26 MX$78.7

-42.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 R$31.22

$10.02 MX$185

-38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.99

$1.54 MX$28.41

-23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 R$9.76

$2.66 MX$49.17

-27.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.74

$0.53 MX$9.73

75.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.70 R$222

$27.51 MX$508

58.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 R$8.08

$4.90 MX$90.6

-67.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R$8.04

$3.43 MX$63.5

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 R$39.94

$5.38 MX$99.4

46.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.45 MX$26.76

-28.97%

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

$19.9K R$100.9K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-5.93%

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

$33.1K R$167.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

43.89%

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

$95.4 R$484

$85.4 MX$1,577

11.76%

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

$10.11 R$51.2

$23.46 MX$434

-56.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 R$103

$28.43 MX$525

-28.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.42 R$144

$62.2 MX$1,149

-54.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 R$141

$28.68 MX$530

-3.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 R$27.66

$5.10 MX$94.3

7.06%

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

$283 R$1,434

$201 MX$3,715

40.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K R$51.3K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

156.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 R$278

$44.39 MX$820

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.51 R$190

$41.35 MX$764

-9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.0 R$269

$72.7 MX$1,344

-27.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 R$303

$89.6 MX$1,656

-33.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,794

$979 MX$18.1K

-63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 R$1,019

$373 MX$6,887

-46.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,359

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-60.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 R$2,375

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-57.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,729 R$8,765

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-56.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,214 R$6,156

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-80.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 R$3,396

$738 MX$13.6K

-9.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.79

11.45

11.70%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: 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

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$201 24.5%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 85.4% $172

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$194 23.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 33.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$126 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 9.1% $11

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$112 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 78.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 21% $19

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 9.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$39 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 84.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 10% 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $258 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

01:17 1:17 AM

2 h behind Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,547

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Playa del Carmen 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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

Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,232 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $821 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 47%.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $821, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Boa Vista – 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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.