Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Aguada and in Playa del Carmen: $1,181 and $1,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

Aguada, Puerto Rico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Aguada
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,181
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aguada 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 Aguada and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,181 in Aguada versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Aguada $1,181
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,227 in Aguada versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Aguada $1,227
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,274 in Aguada versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Aguada $1,274
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Monthly costs are close between Aguada and Playa del Carmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aguada 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.12 $11.12
$10.92 MX$205
1.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$43.37 MX$814
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.20 $12.20
$11.78 MX$221
3.57%
Cappuccino
$2.04 $2.04
$3.81 MX$71.5
-46.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.28 MX$24.07
59.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 $1.03
$0.78 MX$14.70
32.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 $1.47
$3.17 MX$59.5
-53.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 $2.97
$4.93 MX$92.7
-39.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.41 MX$26.40
26.24%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.22 MX$41.62
13.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.42 MX$26.61
-
Eggs
$4.43 $4.43
$2.52 MX$47.36
75.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.26 MX$136
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.70 MX$144
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.69 MX$238
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.78 MX$52.3
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.37 MX$25.68
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.55 MX$47.89
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.12 MX$39.86
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.94 MX$36.39
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.89 MX$35.41
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.15 MX$21.53
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.18 MX$22.13
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.30 MX$80.6
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.95 MX$187
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 MX$29.73
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$50.1
-
🚌 Getting Around
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.39
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.97 MX$93.3
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.33 MX$62.5
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.36 MX$101
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.44 MX$27.11
-41.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.7K MX$388.0K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.5K MX$440.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$260 $260
$84.8 MX$1,592
206.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60.0 $60.0
$23.41 MX$439
156.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$28.66 MX$538
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 $54.0
$57.1 MX$1,071
-5.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.12 $6.12
$5.14 MX$96.5
19.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$500 $500
$207 MX$3,878
141.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.43 $35.43
$43.35 MX$814
-18.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.32 $40.32
$41.44 MX$778
-2.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.0 $80.0
$74.2 MX$1,393
7.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 $100
$89.3 MX$1,676
12.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 $506
$980 MX$18.4K
-48.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$443 $443
$381 MX$7,150
16.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aguada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,191 $2,191
$735 MX$13.8K
198.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Aguada: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$381
Groceries & Markets
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$255
Eating Out
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sport & Entertainment
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$67
Getting Around
Aguada
–
Playa del Carmen
$50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Aguada and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguada pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know
🇵🇷 Aguada
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
21:48 9:48 PM
20:48 8:48 PM
1 h behind Aguada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aguada Playa del Carmen 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Aguada
  • 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
Aguada vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Aguada or Playa del Carmen?
Average pay in Aguada is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Aguada and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Aguada versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Aguada and Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $500 in Aguada versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 320% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $2,000 go in Aguada compared to Playa del Carmen?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Aguada gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Aguada and Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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