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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,873 in Ambert versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,821 in Ambert versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,769 in Ambert versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ambert is roughly 48% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambert is 37% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 €13.21

$11.60 MX$200

30.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 €40.89

$47.11 MX$812

-0.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 €6.89

$11.88 MX$205

-33.42%

Cappuccino

$3.68 €3.20

$3.98 MX$68.6

-7.54%

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

$3.12 €2.72

$1.43 MX$24.60

118.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.81

$0.82 MX$14.22

153.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.91

$3.19 MX$55.0

76.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.91

$6.79 MX$117

-34.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.68 MX$28.89

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.20 MX$37.88

6.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.36

$1.71 MX$29.45

58.48%

Eggs

$3.35 €2.92

$2.74 MX$47.26

22.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.22 €16.75

$9.58 MX$165

100.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 €12.66

$9.01 MX$155

61.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.92 €22.59

$12.81 MX$221

102.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.57

$2.89 MX$49.81

2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.50 MX$25.81

64.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$2.15 MX$37.03

16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.78

$2.26 MX$38.96

41.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.98 MX$34.15

24.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 €2.69

$1.99 MX$34.30

55.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.23 MX$21.28

38.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.54

$1.20 MX$20.63

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.33 €12.49

$4.55 MX$78.5

214.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 €6.71

$10.37 MX$179

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 €3.32

$1.62 MX$27.91

135.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.47

$2.88 MX$49.67

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.55

$0.60 MX$10.35

195.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.14 €41.09

$28.80 MX$497

63.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 €4.52

$5.39 MX$92.9

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.55

$3.73 MX$64.3

-52.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.57

$5.77 MX$99.5

507.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.54 MX$26.48

38.31%

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

$35.2K €30.7K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

56.15%

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

$35.9K €31.3K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

37.83%

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

$220 €192

$91.4 MX$1,576

141.27%

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

$17.10 €14.90

$25.20 MX$435

-32.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.84 €27.75

$31.24 MX$539

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.38 €30.84

$67.2 MX$1,159

-47.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 €7.80

$4.86 MX$83.8

84.16%

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

$785 €684

$224 MX$3,856

250.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.8K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

220.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €81.3

$47.10 MX$812

97.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 €45.04

$44.29 MX$764

16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.1

$80.1 MX$1,381

34.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €160

$92.7 MX$1,598

98.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 €664

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €559

$390 MX$6,728

64.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,328

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-29.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,003

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-9.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,854 €3,360

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-3.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 €2,517

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-55.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,839 €1,603

$758 MX$13.1K

142.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.45

-66.72%

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

Last update for Ambert: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Ambert and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ambert pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Ambert vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $276, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ambert and Playa del Carmen differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,873 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 143% higher in Ambert, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $762 in Ambert versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Ambert. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $47.00 in Ambert. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,873 in Ambert, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ambert. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Ambert and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Ambert. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.