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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,085 in Eilat versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Eilat versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,951 in Eilat versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Eilat is roughly 138% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Eilat is 124% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.86 ₪81.2

$11.71 MX$199

129.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 ₪398

$46.59 MX$791

182.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.88 ₪66.2

$11.65 MX$198

87.81%

Cappuccino

$5.53 ₪16.74

$4.09 MX$69.5

35.21%

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

$3.99 ₪12.08

$1.37 MX$23.34

191.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ₪9.88

$0.83 MX$14.16

293.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.29 ₪34.16

$3.35 MX$56.9

237.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.25 ₪34.03

$6.91 MX$117

62.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.62 ₪7.93

$1.73 MX$29.33

51.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 ₪13.96

$2.26 MX$38.39

103.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 ₪11.68

$1.77 MX$30.05

118.08%

Eggs

$4.28 ₪12.95

$2.73 MX$46.41

56.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.97 ₪66.5

$9.18 MX$156

139.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.75 ₪50.7

$8.92 MX$151

87.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.15 ₪79.1

$12.60 MX$214

107.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ₪11.24

$3.02 MX$51.3

22.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ₪6.00

$1.57 MX$26.68

26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ₪4.99

$2.13 MX$36.10

-22.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 ₪6.12

$2.26 MX$38.46

-10.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ₪4.73

$2.00 MX$34.04

-22.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 ₪4.92

$2.06 MX$35.06

-20.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 ₪8.45

$1.18 MX$20.04

136.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₪8.43

$1.20 MX$20.45

132.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.80 ₪44.76

$4.63 MX$78.7

219.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 ₪34.89

$10.69 MX$182

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₪7.02

$1.62 MX$27.50

43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₪4.07

$2.88 MX$48.93

-53.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 ₪8.40

$0.57 MX$9.74

387.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 ₪255

$29.83 MX$507

183.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ₪13.42

$5.45 MX$92.5

-18.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ₪3.51

$3.70 MX$62.9

-68.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.23 ₪61.2

$5.98 MX$102

238.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.73 ₪8.27

$1.55 MX$26.38

76.13%

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

$57.3K ₪173.3K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

156.65%

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

$58.7K ₪177.5K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

126.18%

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

$452 ₪1,368

$89.1 MX$1,514

407.37%

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

$11.68 ₪35.33

$25.04 MX$425

-53.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.41 ₪110

$31.50 MX$535

15.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 ₪225

$67.8 MX$1,151

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 ₪49.94

$5.05 MX$85.8

226.93%

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

$1,702 ₪5,148

$225 MX$3,820

656.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ₪93.8K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

634.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 ₪380

$47.44 MX$806

164.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.4 ₪264

$44.98 MX$764

94.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₪354

$82.0 MX$1,392

42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 ₪616

$92.1 MX$1,564

121.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 ₪4,670

$1,069 MX$18.2K

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 ₪3,578

$405 MX$6,884

191.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 ₪7,100

$1,935 MX$32.9K

21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 ₪5,793

$1,301 MX$22.1K

47.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K ₪33.5K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

176.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,765 ₪26.5K

$6,626 MX$112.5K

32.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,781 ₪8,413

$749 MX$12.7K

271.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

11.45

-56.07%

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

Last update for Eilat: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,544 in Eilat and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eilat pays 271% 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: $132 in Eilat vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Eilat and Playa del Carmen differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($3,085 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 271% higher in Eilat, 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: $1,544 in Eilat versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 183% less than in Eilat. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,702 in Eilat versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,085 in Eilat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Eilat. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Eilat 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 138% less than in Eilat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.