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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Alges vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,970 per month in Alges vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,890 per month in Alges vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Alges costs about 62% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Alges sits 50% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.41 €14.31

$11.60 MX$200

41.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €51.2

$47.11 MX$812

24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.39

$11.88 MX$205

-19.02%

Cappuccino

$2.82 €2.46

$3.98 MX$68.6

-29.15%

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

$1.97 €1.71

$1.43 MX$24.60

37.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.03

$0.82 MX$14.22

184.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.10

$3.19 MX$55.0

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.00

$6.79 MX$117

-15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.68 MX$28.89

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.77

$2.20 MX$37.88

-7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.71 MX$29.45

33.33%

Eggs

$3.46 €3.01

$2.74 MX$47.26

26.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 €9.72

$9.58 MX$165

16.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 €6.15

$9.01 MX$155

-21.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 €13.91

$12.81 MX$221

24.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.56

$2.89 MX$49.81

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.50 MX$25.81

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.59

$2.15 MX$37.03

-14.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.95

$2.26 MX$38.96

-0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.98 MX$34.15

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.99 MX$34.30

12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.23 MX$21.28

26.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.20 MX$20.63

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 €5.34

$4.55 MX$78.5

34.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 €4.58

$10.37 MX$179

-49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.62 MX$27.91

-26.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.82

$2.88 MX$49.67

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.60 MX$10.35

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.37 €40.42

$28.80 MX$497

61.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.13

$5.39 MX$92.9

-12.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.09

$3.73 MX$64.3

-66.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.64 €13.63

$5.77 MX$99.5

171.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.54 MX$26.48

37.01%

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

$34.3K €29.9K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

52.15%

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

$39.9K €34.8K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

53.08%

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

$141 €123

$91.4 MX$1,576

53.80%

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

$25.61 €22.32

$25.20 MX$435

1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 €51.3

$31.24 MX$539

88.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 €40.08

$67.2 MX$1,159

-31.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.01 €14.83

$29.11 MX$502

-41.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 €6.45

$4.86 MX$83.8

52.26%

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

$618 €538

$224 MX$3,856

176.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K €16.9K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

358.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 €71.1

$47.10 MX$812

73.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.40 €29.99

$44.29 MX$764

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 €80.8

$80.1 MX$1,381

15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 €86.9

$92.7 MX$1,598

7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 €1,106

$1,063 MX$18.3K

19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €947

$390 MX$6,728

178.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 €1,867

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-0.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$1,272 MX$21.9K

26.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,119 €2,719

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-22.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 €2,074

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-63.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 €1,095

$758 MX$13.1K

65.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

11.45

-67.95%

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

Last update for Alges: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,269 in Alges versus $1,063 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 66% higher in Alges, 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 $59.0 in Alges versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $261 in Alges vs $276 in Playa del Carmen – so Alges 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,050 in Alges, $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 62% apart. Alges costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,075 per month in Alges and $1,899 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.

Kindergarten costs $618 per month in Alges and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Alges – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Alges at $2,050. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $2,050 in Alges. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Alges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.