Cost of Living Comparison Between Acre and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Acre and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in Acre versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,126 in Acre versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,468 in Acre versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Acre is roughly 120% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acre is 104% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 ₪78.2

$11.60 MX$200

121.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 ₪327

$47.11 MX$812

128.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.00 ₪60.8

$11.88 MX$205

68.35%

Cappuccino

$4.59 ₪13.97

$3.98 MX$68.6

15.33%

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

$3.50 ₪10.65

$1.43 MX$24.60

144.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.43

$0.82 MX$14.22

278.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.70 ₪32.52

$3.19 MX$55.0

235.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.02 ₪33.49

$6.79 MX$117

62.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 ₪7.71

$1.68 MX$28.89

51.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 ₪11.31

$2.20 MX$37.88

69.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 ₪11.75

$1.71 MX$29.45

125.73%

Eggs

$5.11 ₪15.54

$2.74 MX$47.26

86.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.40 ₪52.9

$9.58 MX$165

81.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.65 ₪38.45

$9.01 MX$155

40.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.05 ₪73.1

$12.81 MX$221

87.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 ₪13.64

$2.89 MX$49.81

55.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 ₪8.70

$1.50 MX$25.81

90.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₪7.16

$2.15 MX$37.03

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ₪7.93

$2.26 MX$38.96

15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ₪5.89

$1.98 MX$34.15

-2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 ₪5.42

$1.99 MX$34.30

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 ₪7.26

$1.23 MX$21.28

94.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₪8.38

$1.20 MX$20.63

130.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 ₪41.73

$4.55 MX$78.5

201.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ₪45.91

$10.37 MX$179

45.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₪9.83

$1.62 MX$27.91

99.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 ₪14.94

$2.88 MX$49.67

70.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 ₪8.01

$0.60 MX$10.35

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 ₪246

$28.80 MX$497

180.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₪12.75

$5.39 MX$92.9

-22.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₪3.35

$3.73 MX$64.3

-70.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.53 ₪59.4

$5.77 MX$99.5

238.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.68 ₪8.13

$1.54 MX$26.48

74.03%

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

$58.0K ₪176.2K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

157.01%

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

$59.4K ₪180.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

127.97%

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

$260 ₪790

$91.4 MX$1,576

184.23%

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

$11.87 ₪36.07

$25.20 MX$435

-52.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.84 ₪112

$31.24 MX$539

17.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₪218

$67.2 MX$1,159

6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$15.67 ₪47.63

$4.86 MX$83.8

222.43%

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

$1,146 ₪3,484

$224 MX$3,856

412.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K ₪95.0K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

639.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ₪343

$47.10 MX$812

139.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.7 ₪221

$44.29 MX$764

64.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ₪400

$80.1 MX$1,381

64.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 ₪469

$92.7 MX$1,598

66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 ₪4,621

$1,063 MX$18.3K

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 ₪3,204

$390 MX$6,728

170.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 ₪7,244

$2,149 MX$37.1K

10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ₪6,405

$1,272 MX$21.9K

65.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,690 ₪29.5K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

142.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,850 ₪23.9K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

20.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

11.45

-55.90%

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

Last update for Acre: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Acre and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $108 in Acre vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Acre. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,176 in Acre and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,520 in Acre versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Acre. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $108 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,784 in Acre, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Acre. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Acre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.