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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,908 per month in Almada vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Almada vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,642 per month in Almada vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Almada costs about 51% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Almada sits 39% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 €15.14

$11.60 MX$200

49.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.7

$47.11 MX$812

23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 €9.99

$11.88 MX$205

-3.45%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.31

$3.98 MX$68.6

-33.67%

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

$1.60 €1.39

$1.43 MX$24.60

11.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.11

$0.82 MX$14.22

56.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.11

$3.19 MX$55.0

11.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.08

$6.79 MX$117

-48.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.68 MX$28.89

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.20 MX$37.88

-41.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.71 MX$29.45

-8.19%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.29

$2.74 MX$47.26

37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.53

$9.58 MX$165

26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 €7.18

$9.01 MX$155

-8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 €13.67

$12.81 MX$221

22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.89 MX$49.81

-23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.50 MX$25.81

-6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.15 MX$37.03

-14.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.26 MX$38.96

16.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.98 MX$34.15

-7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.99 MX$34.30

6.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.23 MX$21.28

34.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.20 MX$20.63

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 €5.44

$4.55 MX$78.5

37.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €5.08

$10.37 MX$179

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.62 MX$27.91

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.88 MX$49.67

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.60 MX$10.35

288.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.34 €39.53

$28.80 MX$497

57.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.47

$5.39 MX$92.9

-25.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$3.73 MX$64.3

-77.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.16 €14.96

$5.77 MX$99.5

197.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.54 MX$26.48

33.77%

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

$34.3K €29.9K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

52.11%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

49.58%

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

$130 €113

$91.4 MX$1,576

41.85%

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

$19.36 €16.88

$25.20 MX$435

-23.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.25 €35.09

$31.24 MX$539

28.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 €33.88

$67.2 MX$1,159

-42.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.39 €13.41

$29.11 MX$502

-47.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 €7.92

$4.86 MX$83.8

86.83%

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

$641 €558

$224 MX$3,856

186.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,925

$4,229 MX$72.9K

169.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €92.9

$47.10 MX$812

126.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 €40.89

$44.29 MX$764

5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 €75.3

$80.1 MX$1,381

7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.7

$92.7 MX$1,598

17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,017

$1,063 MX$18.3K

9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$959 €836

$390 MX$6,728

145.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 €1,541

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-17.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 €1,237

$1,272 MX$21.9K

11.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,317 €4,635

$4,001 MX$69.0K

32.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 €2,924

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-48.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 €1,191

$758 MX$13.1K

80.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

11.45

-69.08%

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

Last update for Almada: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,167 in Almada 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 80% higher in Almada, 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 $58.0 in Almada versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $259 in Almada vs $276 in Playa del Carmen – so Almada 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,908 in Almada, $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 51% apart. Almada costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,862 per month in Almada 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Almada and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,908 in Almada and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Almada at $1,908. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almada it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,908 in Almada. 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, Almada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.