Playa del Carmen vs Rio de Janeiro

A two-bedroom in the Real Ibiza complexes 8–10.5k pesos, in Centro more often 20–21k, in Playacar 23.5–28k, near Mayakoba 19–27.5k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Playa del Carmen · checked 29 Sep 2026

According to the 2020 census the city has 304,942 residents, the municipality 333,800. 61% of residents were born in another state of Mexico.

OfficialINEGI: 2020 census, results by locality in Quintana Roo (ITER) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Tijuca is almost half the price of Barra. On top of rent comes the building fee (condomínio) of 12–19 reais per m² a month, that is 700–1,100 reais for 60 m².

SpecialistSECOVI-Rio: rent, sale and building fee (condomínio) across 20 districts, June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

A two-bedroom by listings: about 20,000 pesos a month. Of 150 offers, 33 are under 15k, 61 are 15 to 25k, 56 are above 25k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Playa del Carmen · checked 29 Sep 2026

Two-bedrooms for sale: 286 listings up to 4.5 million pesos, 275 from 4.5 to 7 million, 312 above. On the first page about 40% of prices are in dollars.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for sale in Playa del Carmen · checked 29 Sep 2026

A two-room apartment of about 60 m² by listings: Tijuca 2,100, Laranjeiras 3,400, Flamengo 3,800, Botafogo 4,600, Copacabana 4,600, Barra 4,900 reais a month.

SpecialistSECOVI-Rio: rent, sale and building fee (condomínio) across 20 districts, June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

An apartment of about 60 m² by listings: from 400k reais in Tijuca to 880k in Barra. Botafogo 800k, Copacabana 740k, Flamengo 700k.

SpecialistSECOVI-Rio: rent, sale and building fee (condomínio) across 20 districts, June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

The INEGI poverty line for cities is 4,905.33 pesos per person, 19,621 a month for a family of four (August 2026). A lower threshold without rent, not a real budget.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 29 Sep 2026

INEGI basket, August 2026: 1,767 pesos per person excluding meals out, about 7,070 a month for a family of four. This is an average for cities across the country, not the price in Playa.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 1 Oct 2026

DIEESE's basic basket in Rio in August 2026 is 851.19 reais per adult. For a family of two adults and two children, about 2,550 a month.

SpecialistDIEESE: national basic food basket survey, August 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

DIEESE calculates that a family of four needed 7,566 reais a month in August 2026. The figure is one for the whole country and already includes housing; it does not reflect Rio rents.

SpecialistDIEESE: nominal and necessary minimum wage by month · checked 30 Sep 2026

Two schools in Playa: IPC La Salle 4,500–6,450 pesos a month (2026–2027), Colegio Inglés up to 8,540 (2025–2026). Entry fee 5,700–8,990 once a year.

OfficialIPC La Salle, Playa del Carmen: home page, tuition questions · checked 30 Sep 2026

Private school: on average about 2,200 reais a month by listings including scholarships, range 190–4,200. International schools in Barra 5,100–8,300.

SpecialistMelhor Escola: scholarships and monthly fees of private schools in Tijuca (Rio) · checked 30 Sep 2026

Private Hospiten Riviera Maya: 23 beds, 2 intensive care, 24-hour emergency, with paediatrics. Hospiten in Cancún has 34 beds and 10 intensive care.

SpecialistHospiten Riviera Maya: hospital page, capacity and departments · checked 29 Sep 2026

The city has 139 municipal Clínicas da Família and 244 SUS primary care points (as of 27 September 2026). We did not look at private clinics or insurance prices.

OfficialRio City Hall: opening of the 139th Clínica da Família, 244 primary care units · checked 30 Sep 2026

To Cancún airport it is about 58 km by road, calculated at 48 minutes without traffic. To the new Tulum airport, 105 km, about an hour and a half.

SpecialistOSRM using OpenStreetMap maps: route from Fundadores park to Cancún airport · checked 29 Sep 2026

Bus, BRT and VLT: 5 reais, metro 7.90, SuperVia train 7.60. The Bilhete Único Carioca combines up to three trips within 3 hours.

SpecialistG1: bus, BRT and VLT fare in Rio rises to 5 reais from 4 January 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

International flights only from Galeão (20 km from the center): direct to Lisbon, Paris, Madrid, London, Rome, New York, Miami. Santos Dumont handles domestic flights.

SpecialistCartões, Milhas e Viagens: Galeão international destinations in 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

The coolest month is January: on average from 19.4 to 28.6 degrees at the Cozumel station across from the city. No cold in the usual sense.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Cozumel · checked 29 Sep 2026

August is the hottest month: average maximum 33 degrees, about 23.5 at night (Cozumel station). From May to August 32–33 degrees in the day.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Cozumel · checked 29 Sep 2026

About 1,490 mm a year. Dry from February to April (32–60 mm a month), rains from June to October, peaking in September and October at 240 mm each.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Cozumel · checked 29 Sep 2026

The coolest month is July: average minimum 18.4°C, maximum 25.3°C. No frost, and winter is noticeably drier than summer: 56 mm in July.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Rio de Janeiro · checked 30 Sep 2026

January and February: average minimum 23.3–23.5°C, average maximum 29.4–30.2°C. These are 1961–1990 norms, we did not open recent heat measurements.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Rio de Janeiro · checked 30 Sep 2026

About 1,170 mm a year. Rainiest December–April (169 mm in December), driest July–August (50–56 mm).

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Rio de Janeiro · checked 30 Sep 2026

In August 2026 there were about 1.7 million tonnes of seaweed in the western Caribbean, more than in 75% of years since 2011. A decline is expected by November.

SpecialistUSF: sargassum bulletin for the Caribbean Sea, August 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Four hurricanes made landfall near the city: Delta and Zeta (October 2020), Grace (August 2021), Beryl (July 2024). Delta was category 2, the rest category 1.

OfficialNHC: Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Beryl (AL022024) · checked 29 Sep 2026

In 2024 the Solidaridad municipality had 84 homicides, about 25 per 100k residents. In Cancún 39 per 100k, for the state 35.

OfficialINEGI: open data on registered deaths for 2024 · checked 29 Sep 2026

965 intentional homicides in 2025 against 946 in 2024. Deaths from police action 449 against 339 a year earlier.

SpecialistCrime Brasil: crime in the city of Rio, 20 years of ISP data, 2025 results · checked 30 Sep 2026

We did not find a full ISP breakdown by district. According to the press, phone thefts in the first 9 months of 2025: Catete 2,121, Leblon 1,880, Barra 1,806, Copacabana 1,702, Botafogo 1,310.

SpecialistExtra: phone thefts and robberies in Rio state, police districts with the most cases · checked 30 Sep 2026

Fiber of 50–200 Mbps costs 300–725 pesos a month. Telmex, izzi, Megacable and Totalplay are 349–390, often a promotional price. Data from a comparison site, September 2026.

SpecialistSelectra México: internet in Playa del Carmen, providers and plans, September 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026

Fiber in Rio goes up to 1 Gbps at Oi and up to 10 Gbps at Claro, according to the operators' sites. Actual speed depends on the building and the plan.

SpecialistOi Fibra: 500 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s plans · checked 30 Sep 2026

Oi Fibra: 500 Mbps – 89.90 reais, gigabit – 159.90 when paying by card. The page was updated in April 2025, prices may be higher now.

SpecialistOi Fibra: 500 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s plans · checked 30 Sep 2026

Tariff for hot regions 1B or 1C: 1.136 pesos per kWh in the base block, 1.381 in the intermediate, above that 4.041. For 300 kWh outside summer about 820–870 pesos with VAT.

SpecialistAiregula Solutions: CFE tariffs for September 2026, residential 1 and 1A-1F · checked 30 Sep 2026

Water is supplied by Aguakan. The minimum, per the press, is about 203 pesos a month, up to 298 with sewerage (figures for the state). We did not find the price per cubic metre above the minimum.

SpecialistEl Punto Sobre la i: reform of Quintana Roo's Ley de Cuotas y Tarifas de Agua Potable, minimum payment · checked 30 Sep 2026

Price cap for liquefied LP gas (CNE) in Solidaridad for 27.09–3.10.2026: 21.62 pesos per kg, 11.67 per litre. A 20 kg cylinder at the cap is about 432 pesos.

OfficialComisión Nacional de Energía: maximum LP gas prices from 27 September to 3 October 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

The Light tariff for homes is 0.881 reais per kWh before taxes, but a court later raised the increase for homes from 6.4% to 14.6%, so the figure is probably out of date.

SpecialistEnergy calculator: Light home tariff from 15 March 2026 (based on ANEEL data) · checked 30 Sep 2026

Water in 115 districts of Rio is supplied by Águas do Rio, residential tariff 2: 6.52–7.52 reais per m³ in the first 15 m³, 98–113 reais for 15 m³. Tariff 1, which is cheaper, also exists. Without sewage.

OfficialÁguas do Rio: water tariffs from December 2025 (regions 1 and 4, zones A and B) · checked 30 Sep 2026

A 13 kg cylinder in Rio averages 99.63 reais (89.99–113.00) according to ANP for 20–26 September 2026. The Naturgy piped gas tariff was not confirmed.

OfficialANP: weekly price survey, 13 kg gas cylinder (GLP) by municipality, 20-26 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Light benchmark for 300 kWh: about 264 reais before taxes, about 351 with taxes, at the 0.881 tariff. After the court decision of 29 May 2026 the bill is probably higher.

SpecialistEnergy calculator: Light tariff, a 300 kWh bill with ICMS (based on ANEEL data) · checked 30 Sep 2026