Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altos and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $249 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$249

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altos and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Altos and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $249 in Altos versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Altos $249
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $373 in Altos versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Altos $373
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $497 in Altos versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Altos $497
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Altos costs roughly 79% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Altos 82% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 ₲2,851

$1.41 MX$26.40

-65.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 ₲5,437

$2.22 MX$41.62

-59.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₲5,842

$1.42 MX$26.61

-30.99%

Eggs

$1.88 ₲11.2K

$2.52 MX$47.36

-25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.98 ₲35.7K

$7.26 MX$136

-17.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₲20.6K

$7.70 MX$144

-55.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.63 ₲33.6K

$12.69 MX$238

-55.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₲14.2K

$2.78 MX$52.3

-14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ₲7,827

$1.37 MX$25.68

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₲8,537

$2.55 MX$47.89

-43.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₲11.0K

$2.12 MX$39.86

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 ₲6,931

$1.94 MX$36.39

-40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ₲8,296

$1.89 MX$35.41

-26.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ₲6,969

$1.15 MX$21.53

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₲5,166

$1.18 MX$22.13

-26.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.96 ₲5,729

$4.30 MX$80.6

-77.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₲48.4K

$9.95 MX$187

-18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₲4,344

$1.58 MX$29.73

-53.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₲4,983

$2.67 MX$50.1

-68.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₲2,302

$0.55 MX$10.39

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.80 ₲70.4K

$26.62 MX$500

-55.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ₲10.2K

$4.97 MX$93.3

-65.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₲4,266

$3.33 MX$62.5

-78.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₲6,710

$1.44 MX$27.11

-22.22%

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

$19.1K ₲113.9M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

-7.59%

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

$23.8K ₲142.2M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

1.58%

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

$34.79 ₲207.5K

$84.8 MX$1,592

-58.97%

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

$7.91 ₲47.2K

$23.41 MX$439

-66.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.81 ₲82.4K

$28.66 MX$538

-51.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 ₲21.3K

$5.14 MX$96.5

-30.35%

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.46 ₲151.9K

$43.35 MX$814

-41.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,480 ₲8.8M

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-62.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$998 ₲6.0M

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-83.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 ₲2.9M

$735 MX$13.8K

-33.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Altos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Altos

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 50% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Altos

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

2 h behind Altos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,763

149,923

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,660 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Altos Playa del Carmen 6,040 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Altos
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Altos is about 79% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Altos. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $249 in Altos versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Altos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Altos wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.