Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Acuna and in Playa del Carmen: $1,203 and $1,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

Acuna, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Acuna
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,203
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acuna and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Acuna and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,203 per month in Acuna vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Acuna $1,203
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,872 per month in Acuna vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Acuna $1,872
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,540 per month in Acuna vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Acuna $2,540
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Acuna and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Acuna and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Acuna 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.82 MX$204
$10.67 MX$201
1.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.78 MX$805
$43.80 MX$824
-2.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.73 MX$164
$11.79 MX$222
-25.95%
Cappuccino
$3.49 MX$65.6
$3.79 MX$71.2
-7.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 MX$26.29
$1.30 MX$24.41
7.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.67
$0.83 MX$15.69
19.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 MX$46.88
$3.15 MX$59.2
-20.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 MX$73.8
$4.93 MX$92.9
-20.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 MX$29.27
$1.41 MX$26.51
10.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 MX$48.47
$2.20 MX$41.32
17.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 MX$30.88
$1.47 MX$27.71
11.56%
Eggs
$2.45 MX$46.18
$2.50 MX$46.99
-2.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.25 MX$155
$7.29 MX$137
13.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$150
$7.95 MX$150
0.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.30 MX$213
$12.86 MX$242
-12.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 MX$49.13
$2.90 MX$54.5
-10.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 MX$29.43
$1.38 MX$26.03
13.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 MX$34.64
$2.49 MX$46.88
-26.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.78 MX$33.57
$2.03 MX$38.20
-12.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.40
$2.02 MX$38.11
0.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.32
$1.90 MX$35.82
-4.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.89
$1.14 MX$21.54
25.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 MX$21.10
$1.24 MX$23.32
-9.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 MX$79.0
$4.27 MX$80.4
-1.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.27 MX$193
$9.81 MX$185
4.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 MX$33.65
$1.59 MX$29.85
12.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 MX$59.5
$2.75 MX$51.7
14.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 MX$11.64
$0.51 MX$9.69
21.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.62 MX$557
$27.39 MX$515
8.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.54 MX$47.84
$4.76 MX$89.6
-46.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.93 MX$36.28
$3.25 MX$61.1
-40.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.78 MX$203
$5.39 MX$101
100.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 MX$24.80
$1.53 MX$28.76
-13.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K MX$437.6K
$21.2K MX$399.2K
9.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K MX$445.8K
$23.3K MX$437.8K
1.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.2 MX$1,077
$83.5 MX$1,571
-31.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.85 MX$430
$23.19 MX$436
-1.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.20 MX$549
$27.61 MX$520
5.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.41 MX$610
$56.4 MX$1,062
-42.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.22 MX$381
$28.19 MX$531
-28.27%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 MX$93.5
$5.00 MX$94.1
-0.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$218 MX$4,101
$207 MX$3,897
5.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,512 MX$84.9K
$5,231 MX$98.4K
-13.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 MX$1,022
$43.45 MX$818
24.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.96 MX$752
$42.54 MX$801
-6.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.7 MX$1,838
$72.8 MX$1,369
34.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.5 MX$1,685
$88.4 MX$1,663
1.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$596 MX$11.2K
$995 MX$18.7K
-40.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$436 MX$8,212
$382 MX$7,197
14.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 MX$19.6K
$1,674 MX$31.5K
-37.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$751 MX$14.1K
$1,081 MX$20.3K
-30.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,911 MX$36.0K
$3,909 MX$73.6K
-51.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,107 MX$20.8K
$6,138 MX$115.5K
-81.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Acuna
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.31
11.45
-1.22%

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

Last update for Acuna: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Acuna
$436
Playa del Carmen
$382 12.4% $54
Groceries & Markets
Acuna
$260
Playa del Carmen
$257 0.8% $2.2
Eating Out
Acuna
$184
Playa del Carmen
$200 8.6% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Acuna
$127
Playa del Carmen
$111 12.2% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Acuna
$109
Playa del Carmen
$134 22.9% $25
Getting Around
Acuna
$44
Playa del Carmen
$50 13.9% $6.2
Sport & Entertainment
Acuna
$42
Playa del Carmen
$66 56.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $596 in Acuna versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Acuna versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Acuna vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Acuna
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
21:09 9:09 PM
22:09 10:09 PM
1 h ahead of Acuna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
160,225
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Acuna Playa del Carmen 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Acuna
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Acuna vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Acuna and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $596 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 8% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $218 per month in Acuna and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Acuna or Playa del Carmen?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,203 in Acuna and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Acuna or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,203 in Acuna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Acuna vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?