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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Andong versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,074 in Andong versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,794 in Andong versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Andong is roughly 2% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Andong 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 ₩8,300

$13.02 MX$221

-54.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.15 ₩47.5K

$46.25 MX$784

-26.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 ₩8,645

$12.59 MX$213

-50.60%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ₩4,859

$4.00 MX$67.9

-12.50%

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

$1.46 ₩2,026

$1.42 MX$24.08

2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₩788

$0.81 MX$13.73

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 ₩4,571

$3.05 MX$51.7

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₩6,065

$6.82 MX$116

-36.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₩2,878

$1.71 MX$29.04

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₩4,002

$2.22 MX$37.62

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,145

$1.72 MX$29.13

31.40%

Eggs

$3.10 ₩4,306

$2.71 MX$45.99

14.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 ₩20.7K

$9.37 MX$159

59.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 ₩10.5K

$8.86 MX$150

-14.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.5K

$12.78 MX$217

-18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$7.33 ₩10.2K

$3.13 MX$53.0

134.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,236

$1.55 MX$26.24

96.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.07 ₩9,829

$2.15 MX$36.51

228.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 ₩9,268

$2.35 MX$39.89

183.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,676

$2.02 MX$34.23

66.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 ₩3,234

$1.99 MX$33.67

17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 ₩2,727

$1.24 MX$21.09

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₩1,741

$1.19 MX$20.21

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₩4,349

$4.65 MX$78.8

-32.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.28 ₩24.0K

$10.47 MX$177

65.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₩2,930

$1.58 MX$26.82

33.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,508

$2.92 MX$49.48

10.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,496

$0.56 MX$9.53

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 ₩4,008

$5.32 MX$90.2

-45.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩893

$3.72 MX$63.0

-82.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 ₩22.4K

$5.78 MX$97.9

179.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₩1,767

$1.55 MX$26.27

-18.06%

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

$27.5K ₩38.2M

$22.4K MX$379.1K

23.00%

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

$34.0K ₩47.3M

$25.6K MX$433.3K

33.01%

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

$206 ₩285.8K

$89.3 MX$1,513

130.33%

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

$41.19 ₩57.3K

$23.30 MX$395

76.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ₩27.8K

$31.72 MX$538

-37.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ₩72.7K

$68.8 MX$1,165

-23.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ₩15.6K

$29.40 MX$498

-61.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 ₩14.5K

$5.06 MX$85.7

105.93%

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

$297 ₩412.6K

$222 MX$3,765

33.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ₩23.2M

$4,293 MX$72.7K

289.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 ₩86.5K

$46.21 MX$783

34.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 ₩83.0K

$44.43 MX$753

34.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₩97.9K

$95.5 MX$1,618

-26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 ₩130.7K

$92.5 MX$1,568

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 ₩585.6K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-60.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₩469.5K

$393 MX$6,663

-14.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 ₩1.5M

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ₩920.9K

$1,304 MX$22.1K

-49.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,279 ₩10.1M

$4,037 MX$68.4K

80.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,296 ₩7.4M

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-20.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,781 ₩2.5M

$747 MX$12.7K

138.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

11.6

-64.66%

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

Last update for Andong: August 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Andong and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andong pays 138% 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: $34.00 in Andong vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $277, 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Andong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Andong, 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: $421 in Andong versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Andong versus $222 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $34.00 in Andong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,354 in Andong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Andong. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,330 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Andong 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 2% less than in Andong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.