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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,703 per month in Ancona vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Ancona vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,431 per month in Ancona vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ancona costs about 35% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ancona sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.90 €16.48

$11.72 MX$204

61.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 €69.5

$41.89 MX$731

90.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 €10.02

$10.51 MX$183

9.32%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.82

$3.59 MX$62.5

-42.06%

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

$2.68 €2.34

$1.51 MX$26.31

77.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.23

$0.92 MX$15.96

53.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.20

$2.96 MX$51.6

101.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.99

$4.41 MX$76.9

29.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.40 MX$24.35

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.88 MX$32.87

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.56 MX$27.19

37.18%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.54

$2.61 MX$45.50

11.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 €13.77

$8.32 MX$145

89.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 €9.47

$8.35 MX$146

30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.62 €18.85

$10.86 MX$189

99.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.71 MX$47.31

-12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.51 MX$26.25

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.24

$1.87 MX$32.67

37.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 €2.69

$2.19 MX$38.19

40.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.86 MX$32.40

-13.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$2.23 MX$38.90

-25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.07 MX$18.63

42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 €0.42

$1.09 MX$18.94

-55.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$4.19 MX$73.0

61.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.10

$10.43 MX$182

-43.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.66 MX$28.91

-3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.91

$2.61 MX$45.56

-15.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.54 MX$9.45

225.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.61 €35.41

$26.16 MX$456

55.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.08

$3.08 MX$53.7

89.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.40 MX$41.94

-35.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.39 €24.75

$3.13 MX$54.5

807.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.31 MX$22.87

53.44%

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

$27.2K €23.7K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

-8.61%

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

$27.5K €24.0K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

17.89%

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

$284 €248

$81.3 MX$1,418

249.32%

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

$14.65 €12.77

$22.56 MX$393

-35.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.45 €32.65

$30.05 MX$524

24.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 €57.3

$52.9 MX$923

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.51 €17.88

$18.39 MX$321

11.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.93

$4.92 MX$85.8

131.50%

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

$299 €261

$201 MX$3,502

48.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,035 €7,005

$5,175 MX$90.2K

55.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €80.0

$35.92 MX$627

155.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.19 €28.93

$40.13 MX$700

-17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 €80.3

$79.7 MX$1,390

15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$86.5 MX$1,508

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 €533

$978 MX$17.1K

-37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €424

$470 MX$8,206

3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 €826

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 €625

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-40.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,096 €2,699

$3,953 MX$69.0K

-21.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 €1,803

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-68.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 €1,512

$677 MX$11.8K

156.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

11.42

-65.85%

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

Last update for Ancona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Ancona versus $978 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 156% higher in Ancona, 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 $80.0 in Ancona versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $252 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Ancona is pricier by about 35%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,555 per month in Ancona and $1,890 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.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Ancona and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Ancona at $1,703. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ancona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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