Cost of Living Comparison Between Diego Martin and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Diego Martin and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,420 per month in Diego Martin vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,396 per month in Diego Martin vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,372 per month in Diego Martin vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Diego Martin costs about 12% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Diego Martin sits 6% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 TTD 35.52

$11.87 MX$204

-55.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 TTD 501

$42.90 MX$736

72.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 TTD 45.61

$10.65 MX$183

-36.62%

Cappuccino

$3.61 TTD 24.39

$3.45 MX$59.2

4.64%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.45

$1.50 MX$25.81

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 TTD 3.87

$0.95 MX$16.28

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 TTD 12.80

$3.03 MX$51.9

-37.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 TTD 20.33

$4.61 MX$79.1

-34.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 TTD 18.78

$1.38 MX$23.61

101.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 TTD 14.38

$1.85 MX$31.70

15.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.40

$1.61 MX$27.65

59.63%

Eggs

$4.51 TTD 30.48

$2.59 MX$44.51

74.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 TTD 52.4

$8.26 MX$142

-6.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 TTD 70.5

$8.37 MX$144

24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 TTD 98.1

$10.66 MX$183

36.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 TTD 39.62

$2.63 MX$45.12

122.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 TTD 17.10

$1.49 MX$25.53

69.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 TTD 28.68

$1.92 MX$32.94

120.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 TTD 31.16

$2.09 MX$35.81

120.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 TTD 10.16

$1.86 MX$31.88

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 TTD 11.51

$2.26 MX$38.81

-24.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 TTD 13.08

$1.06 MX$18.23

83.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 TTD 9.87

$1.09 MX$18.67

33.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 TTD 39.63

$4.15 MX$71.2

41.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 TTD 125

$10.39 MX$178

77.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 TTD 14.51

$1.72 MX$29.59

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 TTD 19.05

$2.61 MX$44.85

8.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 TTD 5.81

$0.54 MX$9.30

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 TTD 502

$26.94 MX$462

175.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 TTD 6.83

$3.13 MX$53.7

-67.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 TTD 6.15

$2.51 MX$43.09

-63.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.62 TTD 98.9

$3.15 MX$54.1

364.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 TTD 7.29

$1.27 MX$21.88

-14.96%

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

$14.5K TTD 98.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-52.25%

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

$38.3K TTD 258.7K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

62.36%

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

$78.8 TTD 533

$83.0 MX$1,425

-5.07%

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

$46.94 TTD 317

$22.71 MX$390

106.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 TTD 424

$29.46 MX$506

112.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.19 TTD 299

$51.0 MX$875

-13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 TTD 51.3

$4.93 MX$84.5

53.96%

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

$334 TTD 2,256

$197 MX$3,386

69.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,115 TTD 48.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

34.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 TTD 405

$36.90 MX$633

62.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.07 TTD 264

$39.89 MX$685

-2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 TTD 1,002

$80.0 MX$1,373

85.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 TTD 882

$89.5 MX$1,536

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 TTD 4,548

$956 MX$16.4K

-29.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 TTD 3,029

$477 MX$8,189

-6.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 TTD 9,580

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-13.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$956 TTD 6,462

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-21.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,799 TTD 12.2K

$667 MX$11.4K

169.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.42

-52.89%

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

Last update for Diego Martin: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 in Diego Martin versus $956 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 170% 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 $74.0 in Diego Martin versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $250 – 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

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

Diego Martin costs about 12% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,131 per month in Diego Martin and $1,906 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 47% 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 $74.0 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 $1,271, than in Diego Martin at $1,420. 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 $1,271 versus $1,420 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.