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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Adra vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Adra vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Adra vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Adra costs about 19% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Adra sits 16% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 €15.07

$11.73 MX$203

49.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.40

$41.62 MX$720

37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €8.99

$10.64 MX$184

-1.79%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.80

$3.52 MX$60.9

-40.34%

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

$2.31 €1.99

$1.51 MX$26.12

52.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$0.97 MX$16.84

58.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.95 MX$51.0

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$4.45 MX$77.0

-24.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.38 MX$23.93

-7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.89 MX$32.72

-7.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 €0.71

$1.64 MX$28.32

-49.39%

Eggs

$2.74 €2.36

$2.51 MX$43.34

9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.59 €9.97

$8.34 MX$144

38.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$8.34 MX$144

-65.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 €9.76

$10.73 MX$186

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.60 MX$45.04

-8.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.46 MX$25.20

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.90 MX$32.87

-26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.08 MX$35.91

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.78 MX$30.71

-7.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.19 MX$37.80

-22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.04 MX$17.99

8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$1.08 MX$18.62

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 €5.32

$4.08 MX$70.6

51.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €3.89

$10.32 MX$178

-56.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$1.71 MX$29.61

-61.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.58 MX$44.54

-27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.42

$0.51 MX$8.81

223.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.08 €29.32

$26.46 MX$458

28.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 €1.41

$3.26 MX$56.4

-49.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.08

$2.49 MX$43.09

-49.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.04 €14.66

$3.25 MX$56.2

424.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.31 MX$22.61

32.82%

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

$19.8K €17.0K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-34.77%

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

$30.0K €25.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

27.88%

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

$126 €108

$82.9 MX$1,433

51.78%

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

$20.29 €17.45

$22.22 MX$384

-8.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.21 €19.97

$29.34 MX$507

-20.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €41.83

$51.6 MX$893

-5.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.94 €12.85

$18.32 MX$317

-18.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 €8.28

$5.07 MX$87.6

89.74%

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

$705 €606

$201 MX$3,473

250.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,223

$5,212 MX$90.1K

105.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 €60.8

$36.92 MX$639

91.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 €27.31

$39.79 MX$688

-20.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 €45.53

$78.5 MX$1,357

-32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 €69.9

$87.1 MX$1,506

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 €728

$973 MX$16.8K

-12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €593

$468 MX$8,090

47.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 €1,153

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-18.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 €861

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-18.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,467 €2,982

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-12.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,279 €1,960

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-64.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,319 €1,995

$664 MX$11.5K

249.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

11.42

-68.65%

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

Last update for Adra: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $847 in Adra versus $973 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.

Salaries run about 249% higher in Adra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Adra versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Adra vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Adra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Adra costs about 19% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Adra and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Adra and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Adra and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Adra at $1,548. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Adra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,297 versus $1,548 in Adra. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Adra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.