Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Diego Martin and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,343 in Diego Martin, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Diego Martin
Learn more

Diego Martin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Diego Martin

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,343

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,343 per month in Diego Martin vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Diego Martin $1,343
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $2,296 per month in Diego Martin vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Diego Martin $2,296
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Diego Martin vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Diego Martin $3,249
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Diego Martin costs about 11% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Diego Martin sits 0% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 TTD 78.6

$10.76 MX$199

8.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 TTD 587

$43.03 MX$795

102.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.67 TTD 58.3

$11.79 MX$218

-26.46%

Cappuccino

$3.80 TTD 25.54

$3.87 MX$71.4

-1.81%

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

$1.22 TTD 8.22

$1.37 MX$25.29

-10.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 TTD 5.84

$0.84 MX$15.44

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 TTD 14.97

$3.10 MX$57.3

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 TTD 25.14

$5.07 MX$93.6

-26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 TTD 16.53

$1.44 MX$26.55

70.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 TTD 15.78

$2.23 MX$41.23

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 TTD 18.73

$1.47 MX$27.17

89.12%

Eggs

$4.43 TTD 29.78

$2.53 MX$46.71

75.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 TTD 45.69

$7.30 MX$135

-6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 TTD 66.5

$7.86 MX$145

25.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 TTD 60.0

$12.79 MX$236

-30.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 TTD 37.47

$2.90 MX$53.6

92.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 TTD 16.50

$1.44 MX$26.53

70.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 TTD 24.24

$2.55 MX$47.07

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 TTD 28.93

$2.06 MX$38.03

108.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 TTD 4.72

$2.00 MX$36.97

-65.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 TTD 5.12

$2.01 MX$37.07

-62.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 TTD 10.05

$1.19 MX$22.02

25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 TTD 7.85

$1.26 MX$23.23

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.44 TTD 36.62

$4.40 MX$81.4

23.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 TTD 118

$9.59 MX$177

82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 TTD 9.99

$1.59 MX$29.41

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 TTD 20.06

$2.81 MX$51.9

6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 TTD 5.83

$0.57 MX$10.47

52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 TTD 493

$27.82 MX$514

163.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 TTD 6.73

$4.98 MX$92.1

-79.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 TTD 6.15

$3.50 MX$64.6

-74.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.85 TTD 99.9

$5.40 MX$99.8

175.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.84

$1.47 MX$27.08

-20.41%

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

$14.4K TTD 97.0K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-31.27%

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

$41.3K TTD 278.0K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

72.88%

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

$44.68 TTD 301

$84.2 MX$1,556

-46.94%

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

$41.43 TTD 279

$23.99 MX$443

72.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.69 TTD 301

$29.02 MX$536

54.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.24 TTD 291

$63.0 MX$1,164

-31.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 TTD 59.5

$4.94 MX$91.3

78.95%

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

$398 TTD 2,677

$204 MX$3,763

95.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K TTD 71.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

171.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 TTD 362

$43.60 MX$806

23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.76 TTD 247

$43.12 MX$797

-14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 TTD 584

$75.8 MX$1,400

14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 TTD 595

$88.6 MX$1,637

-0.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 TTD 4,481

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 TTD 2,917

$374 MX$6,911

15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 TTD 9,704

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 TTD 6,414

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-13.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 TTD 11.7K

$754 MX$13.9K

130.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.45

-49.78%

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

Last update for Diego Martin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Diego Martin

$434 32.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 13.8% $60

Groceries & Markets

Diego Martin

$324 24.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 20.2% $66

Eating Out

Diego Martin

$192 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 5.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Diego Martin

$131 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 4.9% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Diego Martin

$120 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 5.6% $6.7

Getting Around

Diego Martin

$82 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 36.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Diego Martin

$61 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 19.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Diego Martin versus $1,008 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 130% higher in Diego Martin, 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 $87.0 in Diego Martin versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Diego Martin

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

1 h behind Diego Martin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,370

149,923

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago Dollar ($)

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to TTD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Diego Martin Playa del Carmen 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Diego Martin
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

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

Diego Martin costs about 11% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,015 per month in Diego Martin and $1,816 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.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Diego Martin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Diego Martin and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Diego Martin at $1,343. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Diego Martin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,210 versus $1,343 in Diego Martin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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