Playa del Carmen vs Sao Paulo: cost of living for digital nomads

Playa del Carmen, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Sao Paulo is about 4% cheaper than Playa del Carmen for a month of nomad living ($1,600 vs $1,670).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $720 in Sao Paulo against $820 in Playa del Carmen.
  • Playa del Carmen scores higher on safety (7/10 vs 6/10).
  • Internet is faster in Sao Paulo: 150 Mbps typical against 80 Mbps.
  • Playa del Carmen is tropical; Sao Paulo is temperate.

Playa del Carmen wins 3 of the measured lines; Sao Paulo wins 3.

LinePlaya del CarmenSao Paulo
Monthly total (USD)$1,670$1,600
Rent$820$720
Food$430$430
Transport$50$55
Coworking$130$130
Safety (out of 10)7/106/10
Internet (Mbps)80150
Climatetropicaltemperate
City sizemidmetro
Settingcoastinland
Nomad score (out of 10)9/108/10

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

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Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.