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: $1,969 in Acre versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,043 in Acre versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Acre versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Acre is roughly 55% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acre is 46% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 ₪64.5

$11.87 MX$204

86.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 ₪249

$42.90 MX$736

98.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.79 ₪46.04

$10.65 MX$183

48.26%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ₪11.68

$3.45 MX$59.2

16.23%

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

$3.11 ₪9.08

$1.50 MX$25.81

107.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₪6.83

$0.95 MX$16.28

146.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.12 ₪26.59

$3.03 MX$51.9

200.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 ₪23.93

$4.61 MX$79.1

78.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₪6.04

$1.38 MX$23.61

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 ₪8.69

$1.85 MX$31.70

61.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₪9.22

$1.61 MX$27.65

96.27%

Eggs

$4.20 ₪12.25

$2.59 MX$44.51

62.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 ₪48.93

$8.26 MX$142

103.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 ₪30.98

$8.37 MX$144

26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.55 ₪62.8

$10.66 MX$183

102.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ₪9.03

$2.63 MX$45.12

17.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₪6.76

$1.49 MX$25.53

55.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₪5.76

$1.92 MX$32.94

3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₪6.54

$2.09 MX$35.81

7.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₪5.02

$1.86 MX$31.88

-7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ₪4.40

$2.26 MX$38.81

-33.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 ₪5.73

$1.06 MX$18.23

85.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₪4.75

$1.09 MX$18.67

49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 ₪30.98

$4.15 MX$71.2

155.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 ₪40.00

$10.39 MX$178

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₪8.82

$1.72 MX$29.59

76.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₪9.81

$2.61 MX$44.85

28.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ₪4.65

$0.54 MX$9.30

194.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 ₪201

$26.94 MX$462

156.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ₪11.33

$3.13 MX$53.7

24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₪2.36

$2.51 MX$43.09

-67.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 ₪99.7

$3.15 MX$54.1

985.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 ₪6.01

$1.27 MX$21.88

62.20%

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

$45.8K ₪133.4K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

50.67%

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

$45.2K ₪131.7K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

91.61%

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

$238 ₪695

$83.0 MX$1,425

187.13%

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

$9.78 ₪28.53

$22.71 MX$390

-56.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.84 ₪81.2

$29.46 MX$506

-5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 ₪311

$51.0 MX$875

109.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.08 ₪6.08

$18.33 MX$315

-88.65%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 ₪37.52

$4.93 MX$84.5

161.05%

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

$1,062 ₪3,096

$197 MX$3,386

438.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,014 ₪11.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-23.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 ₪255

$36.90 MX$633

136.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 ₪157

$39.89 MX$685

34.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ₪386

$80.0 MX$1,373

65.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₪307

$89.5 MX$1,536

17.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ₪1,797

$956 MX$16.4K

-35.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 ₪1,539

$477 MX$8,189

10.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 ₪2,907

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₪2,799

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-21.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,787 ₪16.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

47.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 ₪15.0K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-20.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

11.42

-53.15%

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

Last update for Acre: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Acre and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Acre vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $250 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 55% 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 $2,953 in Acre and $1,906 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: $616 in Acre versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% 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 $43.00 versus $85.0 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,969 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 $1,271 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 55% less than in Acre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.