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: $1,947 in Acre versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,015 in Acre versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Acre versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Acre is roughly 55% more expensive than in 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

$22.98 ₪70.2

$11.72 MX$203

96.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 ₪262

$41.89 MX$725

104.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.57 ₪47.58

$10.51 MX$182

48.14%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₪12.47

$3.59 MX$62.0

13.65%

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

$2.94 ₪8.98

$1.51 MX$26.10

94.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₪7.35

$0.92 MX$15.83

161.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.82 ₪26.95

$2.96 MX$51.2

197.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 ₪26.03

$4.41 MX$76.3

93.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ₪6.41

$1.40 MX$24.16

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 ₪8.97

$1.88 MX$32.60

55.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 ₪10.01

$1.56 MX$26.97

110.26%

Eggs

$4.05 ₪12.37

$2.61 MX$45.14

55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ₪52.5

$8.32 MX$144

106.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 ₪31.50

$8.35 MX$145

23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.69 ₪66.3

$10.86 MX$188

99.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₪9.49

$2.71 MX$46.93

14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₪6.88

$1.51 MX$26.04

49.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ₪6.07

$1.87 MX$32.41

6.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 ₪6.90

$2.19 MX$37.89

3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₪5.22

$1.86 MX$32.14

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₪4.77

$2.23 MX$38.59

-30.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 ₪5.80

$1.07 MX$18.48

77.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₪4.96

$1.09 MX$18.79

48.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.68 ₪32.64

$4.19 MX$72.4

154.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 ₪46.65

$10.43 MX$180

46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₪8.94

$1.66 MX$28.68

75.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₪10.33

$2.61 MX$45.19

29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ₪5.02

$0.54 MX$9.37

203.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 ₪215

$26.16 MX$453

169.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₪12.12

$3.08 MX$53.3

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₪2.65

$2.40 MX$41.61

-63.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.55 ₪103

$3.13 MX$54.1

971.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 ₪6.07

$1.31 MX$22.69

51.15%

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

$46.3K ₪141.6K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

55.49%

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

$44.9K ₪137.3K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

92.65%

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

$239 ₪729

$81.3 MX$1,406

193.64%

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

$9.76 ₪29.84

$22.56 MX$390

-56.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₪83.2

$30.05 MX$520

-9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 ₪335

$52.9 MX$915

107.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.13 ₪6.51

$18.39 MX$318

-88.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 ₪39.41

$4.92 MX$85.1

162.20%

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

$1,027 ₪3,139

$201 MX$3,474

411.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,897 ₪11.9K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-24.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 ₪271

$35.92 MX$622

146.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 ₪167

$40.13 MX$694

36.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₪411

$79.7 MX$1,379

68.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₪326

$86.5 MX$1,496

23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₪1,884

$978 MX$16.9K

-36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 ₪1,655

$470 MX$8,140

15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 ₪3,084

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-38.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 ₪2,842

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-22.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,653 ₪29.5K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

144.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,969 ₪24.4K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

20.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Acre and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Acre vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $252 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 $2,921 in Acre and $1,890 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: $617 in Acre versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 $42.00 versus $86.0 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,947 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 $1,260 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.