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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Alexandria versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,684 in Alexandria versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Alexandria versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.90 JMD 2,505

$11.71 MX$198

35.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 JMD 12.0K

$46.59 MX$788

63.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 JMD 1,413

$11.65 MX$197

-23.00%

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 858

$4.09 MX$69.2

33.25%

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

$1.19 JMD 187

$1.37 MX$23.23

-13.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

$0.83 MX$14.09

-16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 JMD 339

$3.35 MX$56.7

-35.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 483

$6.91 MX$117

-55.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 667

$1.73 MX$29.20

144.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 JMD 602

$2.26 MX$38.21

69.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 256

$1.77 MX$29.91

-8.47%

Eggs

$3.51 JMD 554

$2.73 MX$46.19

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 JMD 1,778

$9.18 MX$155

22.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 JMD 980

$8.92 MX$151

-30.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 JMD 1,642

$12.60 MX$213

-17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 JMD 933

$3.02 MX$51.1

96.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.95 JMD 622

$1.57 MX$26.55

151.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.47 JMD 1,178

$2.13 MX$35.93

250.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 471

$2.26 MX$38.28

32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 509

$2.00 MX$33.88

61.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 JMD 422

$2.06 MX$34.90

30.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 JMD 477

$1.18 MX$19.94

156.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.20 MX$20.35

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 JMD 1,475

$4.63 MX$78.4

102.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 JMD 1,819

$10.69 MX$181

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 443

$1.62 MX$27.38

73.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 JMD 639

$2.88 MX$48.70

40.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 JMD 184

$5.45 MX$92.1

-78.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 508

$3.70 MX$62.6

-12.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 JMD 978

$5.98 MX$101

3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.55 MX$26.26

-10.32%

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

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

$22.3K MX$377.4K

98.77%

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

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

$25.9K MX$438.7K

24.62%

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

$173 JMD 27.2K

$89.1 MX$1,507

93.62%

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

$30.02 JMD 4,731

$25.04 MX$423

19.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 JMD 8,434

$31.50 MX$532

69.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 JMD 2,114

$5.05 MX$85.4

165.54%

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

$366 JMD 57.7K

$225 MX$3,803

62.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 JMD 1.3M

$4,222 MX$71.4K

93.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.84 JMD 3,756

$47.44 MX$802

-49.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.50 JMD 4,964

$44.98 MX$760

-29.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 JMD 12.2K

$82.0 MX$1,386

-5.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$92.1 MX$1,557

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.45

-17.47%

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

Last update for Alexandria: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76.0 in Alexandria vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $277 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

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

Alexandria and Playa del Carmen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $1,293 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Alexandria and $1,940 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.

Childcare runs $366 in Alexandria versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,016 in Alexandria versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.