Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ancona and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,617 in Ancona, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ancona, Italy
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ancona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,617
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ancona 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 Ancona and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,617 per month in Ancona vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ancona $1,617
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,400 per month in Ancona vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ancona $2,400
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,184 per month in Ancona vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ancona $3,184
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Ancona costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ancona sits 20% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.45 €14.65
$10.67 MX$198
54.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.9 €69.4
$43.80 MX$813
77.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.07 €9.86
$11.79 MX$219
-6.11%
Cappuccino
$1.97 €1.76
$3.79 MX$70.3
-48.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.26
$1.30 MX$24.07
94.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 €1.09
$0.83 MX$15.47
48.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.75 €5.12
$3.15 MX$58.4
82.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69 €5.07
$4.93 MX$91.6
15.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.41 MX$26.14
-16.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 €1.98
$2.20 MX$40.75
1.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.47 MX$27.33
44.90%
Eggs
$2.80 €2.50
$2.50 MX$46.34
12.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.57 €12.09
$7.29 MX$135
86.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.35 €10.11
$7.95 MX$148
42.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.12 €15.25
$12.86 MX$239
33.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.90 MX$53.8
-21.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.38 MX$25.67
12.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.49 MX$46.23
0.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$2.03 MX$37.67
41.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.02 MX$37.58
-23.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.90 MX$35.32
-5.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.14 MX$21.24
26.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 €0.33
$1.24 MX$22.99
-70.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.82 €6.08
$4.27 MX$79.3
59.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.42 €4.83
$9.81 MX$182
-44.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.59 MX$29.43
1.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.75 MX$51.0
-26.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.51 MX$9.56
252.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.78 €35.44
$27.39 MX$508
45.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.64 €5.02
$4.76 MX$88.4
18.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 €1.65
$3.25 MX$60.3
-43.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.79 €21.19
$5.39 MX$100
341.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.53 MX$28.36
26.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$21.2K MX$393.7K
67.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €33.7K
$23.3K MX$431.7K
62.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 €250
$83.5 MX$1,549
236.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.76 €12.26
$23.19 MX$430
-40.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.34 €32.37
$27.61 MX$512
31.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 €46.92
$56.4 MX$1,047
-6.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.90 €17.73
$28.19 MX$523
-29.41%
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.06
$5.00 MX$92.8
125.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$151 €135
$207 MX$3,843
-26.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,231 MX$97.1K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.0 €78.4
$43.45 MX$806
102.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.36 €27.04
$42.54 MX$789
-28.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.2 €80.4
$72.8 MX$1,350
23.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 €88.0
$88.4 MX$1,640
11.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$584 €520
$995 MX$18.5K
-41.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$478 €426
$382 MX$7,097
24.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$933 €831
$1,674 MX$31.1K
-44.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$670 €597
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-38.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,629 €2,342
$3,909 MX$72.5K
-32.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,726 €1,538
$6,138 MX$113.9K
-71.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ancona
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,843 €1,642
$832 MX$15.4K
121.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
11.45
-73.80%

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

Last update for Ancona: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ancona
$478
Playa del Carmen
$382 20% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ancona
$331
Playa del Carmen
$134 59.4% $197
Groceries & Markets
Ancona
$289
Playa del Carmen
$257 11% $32
Eating Out
Ancona
$244
Playa del Carmen
$200 17.8% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Ancona
$138
Playa del Carmen
$111 19.6% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Ancona
$75
Playa del Carmen
$66 11.7% $8.8
Getting Around
Ancona
$62
Playa del Carmen
$50 18.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $584 in Ancona versus $995 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 in Ancona are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Ancona versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Ancona
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
05:01 5:01 AM
23:01 11:01 PM
6 h behind Ancona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,861
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ancona Playa del Carmen 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ancona
  • 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
Ancona vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Ancona?
Yes – Ancona is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,425 per month in Ancona and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ancona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $584 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 31% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $151 per month in Ancona and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ancona or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Ancona at $1,617. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ancona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Ancona or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,617 in Ancona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ancona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ancona vs other spots: cost of living compared

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