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 $1,419 per month in Diego Martin vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,340 per month in Diego Martin vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Diego Martin vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Diego Martin costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Diego Martin sits 6% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 TTD 35.95

$11.94 MX$209

-55.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 TTD 497

$42.75 MX$748

71.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 TTD 46.26

$10.59 MX$185

-35.69%

Cappuccino

$3.62 TTD 24.58

$3.62 MX$63.4

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

$1.05 TTD 7.14

$1.47 MX$25.69

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 TTD 3.83

$0.94 MX$16.51

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 TTD 12.19

$3.09 MX$54.1

-42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 TTD 21.24

$4.46 MX$78.0

-29.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 TTD 18.73

$1.43 MX$24.94

93.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 TTD 14.44

$1.88 MX$32.97

13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 TTD 17.69

$1.63 MX$28.50

60.12%

Eggs

$4.41 TTD 29.91

$2.64 MX$46.26

67.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 TTD 55.1

$8.21 MX$144

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 TTD 70.5

$8.29 MX$145

25.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 TTD 95.7

$11.10 MX$194

26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 TTD 40.51

$2.65 MX$46.40

125.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 TTD 16.98

$1.50 MX$26.26

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 TTD 29.60

$1.99 MX$34.79

119.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 TTD 31.55

$2.08 MX$36.33

123.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 TTD 9.84

$1.79 MX$31.29

-18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 TTD 11.68

$2.18 MX$38.09

-21.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 TTD 12.79

$1.08 MX$18.84

74.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 TTD 9.59

$1.04 MX$18.15

35.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.79 TTD 39.29

$3.97 MX$69.5

45.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.81 TTD 135

$10.20 MX$179

94.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 TTD 14.89

$1.73 MX$30.22

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 TTD 19.02

$2.50 MX$43.71

12.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 TTD 6.32

$0.52 MX$9.07

78.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 TTD 508

$26.97 MX$472

177.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 TTD 6.79

$3.14 MX$55.0

-68.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 TTD 6.09

$2.40 MX$42.04

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 TTD 99.6

$3.09 MX$54.0

374.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 TTD 7.55

$1.27 MX$22.28

-12.60%

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

$14.6K TTD 99.0K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-52.78%

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

$38.0K TTD 257.7K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

62.81%

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

$79.4 TTD 539

$82.0 MX$1,435

-3.21%

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

$46.81 TTD 318

$22.45 MX$393

108.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 TTD 417

$29.66 MX$519

106.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.10 TTD 299

$51.9 MX$908

-14.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 TTD 50.9

$4.97 MX$87.0

50.91%

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

$325 TTD 2,206

$198 MX$3,462

64.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,326 TTD 49.7K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

38.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 TTD 403

$36.34 MX$636

63.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.39 TTD 261

$40.05 MX$701

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 993

$79.9 MX$1,398

83.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 TTD 879

$88.9 MX$1,555

45.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 TTD 4,578

$963 MX$16.9K

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 TTD 3,004

$465 MX$8,133

-4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 TTD 9,859

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 TTD 6,452

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-21.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,783 TTD 12.1K

$720 MX$12.6K

147.54%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $674 in Diego Martin versus $963 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 148% 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 $73.0 in Diego Martin versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $251 – 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 10% 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 $2,129 per month in Diego Martin and $1,930 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 $73.0 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 $1,287, than in Diego Martin at $1,419. 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 $1,287 versus $1,419 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.