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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,402 in Ansan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,195 in Ansan versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,987 in Ansan versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ansan is roughly 12% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ansan is 5% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 ₩11.0K

$11.99 MX$210

-38.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 ₩34.6K

$41.78 MX$733

-44.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 ₩7,776

$10.75 MX$189

-51.35%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,910

$3.50 MX$61.3

13.43%

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

$1.75 ₩2,604

$1.45 MX$25.41

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₩1,040

$0.88 MX$15.52

-20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₩4,349

$2.95 MX$51.7

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₩5,442

$4.51 MX$79.1

-18.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,345

$1.43 MX$25.12

57.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 ₩5,168

$1.84 MX$32.23

88.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 ₩4,828

$1.57 MX$27.51

106.37%

Eggs

$3.11 ₩4,628

$2.51 MX$44.06

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.51 ₩21.6K

$8.28 MX$145

75.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 ₩15.9K

$8.43 MX$148

26.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.69 ₩50.1K

$10.68 MX$187

215.45%

Apples (1kg)

$7.95 ₩11.8K

$2.61 MX$45.76

204.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩5,135

$1.44 MX$25.22

139.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.69 ₩8,473

$1.96 MX$34.41

190.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 ₩9,672

$2.09 MX$36.74

211.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₩5,738

$1.85 MX$32.47

108.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 ₩4,345

$2.17 MX$38.02

34.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 ₩3,710

$1.03 MX$18.09

141.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,902

$1.07 MX$18.84

19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.21 ₩4,780

$4.10 MX$72.0

-21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.49 ₩24.5K

$10.17 MX$178

62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,660

$1.68 MX$29.38

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₩4,790

$2.53 MX$44.31

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,596

$0.51 MX$8.93

109.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 ₩5,135

$3.23 MX$56.7

6.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩855

$2.41 MX$42.19

-76.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ₩13.4K

$3.23 MX$56.6

179.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,806

$1.32 MX$23.17

-8.33%

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

$27.8K ₩41.4M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-6.30%

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

$24.9K ₩37.1M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

5.23%

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

$163 ₩243.1K

$82.0 MX$1,439

99.26%

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

$35.04 ₩52.1K

$22.95 MX$403

52.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.10 ₩32.9K

$30.11 MX$528

-26.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.20 ₩43.5K

$52.0 MX$912

-43.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 ₩16.1K

$4.98 MX$87.3

117.47%

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

$421 ₩625.8K

$197 MX$3,463

113.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩35.3M

$5,336 MX$93.6K

344.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ₩86.2K

$35.60 MX$624

62.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.19 ₩70.2K

$40.33 MX$707

17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₩120.6K

$78.8 MX$1,381

2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₩171.3K

$88.9 MX$1,560

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ₩655.1K

$947 MX$16.6K

-53.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₩542.0K

$474 MX$8,314

-23.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 ₩1.6M

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-34.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.1M

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-38.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.8K ₩32.5M

$4,056 MX$71.1K

437.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,324 ₩2.0M

$654 MX$11.5K

102.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.42

-63.75%

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

Last update for Ansan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Ansan and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ansan pays 103% 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: $23.00 in Ansan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $491 vs $249, 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 103% higher in Ansan, 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: $440 in Ansan versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $421 in Ansan versus $197 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 $42.00 versus $23.00 in Ansan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,402 in Ansan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ansan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ansan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ansan 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 12% less than in Ansan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.