Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ayutuxtepeque and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayutuxtepeque: $953 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Ayutuxtepeque
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Ayutuxtepeque Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Ayutuxtepeque

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$953

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Ayutuxtepeque $953
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Ayutuxtepeque $1,391
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,829 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Ayutuxtepeque $1,829
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Ayutuxtepeque costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ayutuxtepeque 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 $6.70

$10.86 MX$201

-38.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 $29.74

$44.21 MX$817

-32.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 $4.94

$11.76 MX$217

-57.99%

Cappuccino

$3.62 $3.62

$3.68 MX$68.0

-1.63%

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

$0.63 $0.63

$1.34 MX$24.79

-52.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.82 MX$15.24

-41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.06 MX$56.6

-58.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.94 MX$91.2

-38.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.47 MX$27.17

-2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.22 MX$40.95

-33.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.48 MX$27.32

-33.78%

Eggs

$2.35 $2.35

$2.49 MX$45.99

-5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 $7.73

$7.52 MX$139

2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$7.96 MX$147

-31.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$12.57 MX$232

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.78 MX$51.3

17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.43 MX$26.37

-0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.62 MX$48.37

-14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.14 MX$39.49

60.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.02 MX$37.38

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.99 MX$36.74

7.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.14 MX$21.01

-43.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.20 MX$22.18

-21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.26 MX$78.7

-6.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 $6.12

$10.02 MX$185

-38.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.54 MX$28.41

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.66 MX$49.17

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.53 MX$9.73

-35.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.90 MX$90.6

24.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.43 MX$63.5

-14.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.86 $19.86

$5.38 MX$99.4

269.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.45 MX$26.76

-11.72%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

15.86%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

16.62%

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

$93.8 $93.8

$85.4 MX$1,577

9.93%

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

$19.81 $19.81

$23.46 MX$434

-15.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.67 $34.67

$28.43 MX$525

21.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.99 $14.99

$62.2 MX$1,149

-75.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 $5.01

$5.10 MX$94.3

-1.76%

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

$163 $163

$201 MX$3,715

-18.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,954 $2,954

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-25.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.68 $24.68

$44.39 MX$820

-44.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$41.35 MX$764

-27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$72.7 MX$1,344

60.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 $73.5

$89.6 MX$1,656

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 $152

$979 MX$18.1K

-84.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 $300

$373 MX$6,887

-19.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 $392

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-76.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 $398

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-63.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$426 $426

$738 MX$13.6K

-42.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

11.45

-25.76%

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

Last update for Ayutuxtepeque: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ayutuxtepeque

$300 31.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 24.4% $73

Groceries & Markets

Ayutuxtepeque

$219 23%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 18.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ayutuxtepeque

$148 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 7.5% $11

Eating Out

Ayutuxtepeque

$129 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 55.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Ayutuxtepeque

$110 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ayutuxtepeque

$25 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 189% $47

Getting Around

Ayutuxtepeque

$22 * 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 134% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Ayutuxtepeque and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 73% 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: $30.00 in Ayutuxtepeque vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $258 per month, with Ayutuxtepeque cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ayutuxtepeque

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

08:24 8:24 AM

1 h ahead of Ayutuxtepeque

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,000

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ayutuxtepeque Playa del Carmen 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ayutuxtepeque
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

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

Ayutuxtepeque wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ayutuxtepeque the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $201 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 Ayutuxtepeque – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ayutuxtepeque but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ayutuxtepeque the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ayutuxtepeque delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $953 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ayutuxtepeque hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ayutuxtepeque gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.