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: $894 in Alexandria versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,431 in Alexandria versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,967 in Alexandria versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 JMD 1,206

$11.99 MX$209

-36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 JMD 10.0K

$41.78 MX$728

51.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 JMD 1,392

$10.75 MX$187

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$4.31 JMD 679

$3.50 MX$60.9

23.14%

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

$1.30 JMD 206

$1.45 MX$25.22

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 111

$0.88 MX$15.41

-20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 JMD 388

$2.95 MX$51.3

-16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 JMD 497

$4.51 MX$78.6

-30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.20 JMD 663

$1.43 MX$24.94

193.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 JMD 573

$1.84 MX$31.99

97.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 255

$1.57 MX$27.31

3.18%

Eggs

$3.57 JMD 563

$2.51 MX$43.74

42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 JMD 1,756

$8.28 MX$144

34.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 JMD 995

$8.43 MX$147

-25.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.49 JMD 1,182

$10.68 MX$186

-29.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 JMD 972

$2.61 MX$45.43

136.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 JMD 488

$1.44 MX$25.04

114.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 JMD 674

$1.96 MX$34.16

117.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 465

$2.09 MX$36.47

41.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 332

$1.85 MX$32.24

13.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$2.17 MX$37.74

-11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 JMD 474

$1.03 MX$17.96

191.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

$1.07 MX$18.70

35.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 JMD 1,396

$4.10 MX$71.4

115.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 JMD 1,799

$10.17 MX$177

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 443

$1.68 MX$29.17

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 505

$2.53 MX$43.98

26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 JMD 171

$3.23 MX$56.3

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 507

$2.41 MX$41.88

33.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 JMD 963

$3.23 MX$56.2

89.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 194

$1.32 MX$23.00

-6.82%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

47.27%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

42.73%

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

$162 JMD 25.5K

$82.0 MX$1,428

97.32%

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

$21.86 JMD 3,449

$22.95 MX$400

-4.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 JMD 7,960

$30.11 MX$524

67.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 JMD 2,084

$4.98 MX$86.6

165.26%

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

$227 JMD 35.9K

$197 MX$3,438

15.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,437 JMD 384.6K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-54.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.71 JMD 4,057

$35.60 MX$620

-27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.05 JMD 4,111

$40.33 MX$702

-35.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 JMD 11.4K

$78.8 MX$1,371

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 JMD 12.0K

$88.9 MX$1,549

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.42

-19.88%

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

Last update for Alexandria: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Alexandria vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $249 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 40% in total monthly costs ($894 vs $1,256 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,342 in Alexandria and $1,884 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 $227 in Alexandria versus $197 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 $64.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $894 in Alexandria versus $1,256 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 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.