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: $884 in Alexandria versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,450 in Alexandria versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,015 in Alexandria versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 JMD 1,147

$11.73 MX$203

-37.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,669

$41.62 MX$720

48.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 JMD 1,376

$10.64 MX$184

-17.48%

Cappuccino

$4.40 JMD 689

$3.52 MX$60.9

25.00%

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

$1.36 JMD 213

$1.51 MX$26.12

-9.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 112

$0.97 MX$16.84

-25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 380

$2.95 MX$51.0

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 JMD 478

$4.45 MX$77.0

-31.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.24 JMD 665

$1.38 MX$23.93

207.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 JMD 568

$1.89 MX$32.72

91.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 243

$1.64 MX$28.32

-5.49%

Eggs

$3.46 JMD 543

$2.51 MX$43.34

37.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 JMD 1,706

$8.34 MX$144

30.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 JMD 988

$8.34 MX$144

-24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.49 JMD 1,174

$10.73 MX$186

-30.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 948

$2.60 MX$45.04

132.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 JMD 473

$1.46 MX$25.20

106.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 JMD 650

$1.90 MX$32.87

118.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 480

$2.08 MX$35.91

47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 329

$1.78 MX$30.71

17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 303

$2.19 MX$37.80

-11.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 JMD 488

$1.04 MX$17.99

199.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 234

$1.08 MX$18.62

37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.69 JMD 1,361

$4.08 MX$70.6

112.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 JMD 1,809

$10.32 MX$178

11.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 JMD 447

$1.71 MX$29.61

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 JMD 478

$2.58 MX$44.54

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 175

$3.26 MX$56.4

-65.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 501

$2.49 MX$43.09

28.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 JMD 957

$3.25 MX$56.2

88.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 192

$1.31 MX$22.61

-6.11%

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

$43.3K JMD 6.8M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

42.96%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

40.88%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$82.9 MX$1,433

94.53%

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

$22.32 JMD 3,497

$22.22 MX$384

0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 JMD 8,016

$29.34 MX$507

74.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 JMD 2,100

$5.07 MX$87.6

164.30%

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

$229 JMD 35.9K

$201 MX$3,473

14.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,485 JMD 389.3K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-52.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.84 JMD 4,049

$36.92 MX$639

-30.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 JMD 4,014

$39.79 MX$688

-35.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 JMD 11.2K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 JMD 11.9K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62.0 in Alexandria vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 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 47% in total monthly costs ($884 vs $1,297 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,326 in Alexandria and $1,945 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 $229 in Alexandria versus $201 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 $62.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $884 in Alexandria versus $1,297 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 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.