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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,643 in Heraklion versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,592 in Heraklion versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Heraklion versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 27% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Heraklion is 20% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.37 €13.21

$11.71 MX$198

31.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €49.76

$46.59 MX$788

24.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 €9.12

$11.65 MX$197

-8.93%

Cappuccino

$4.13 €3.55

$4.09 MX$69.2

0.98%

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

$2.55 €2.20

$1.37 MX$23.23

86.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.64

$0.83 MX$14.09

-9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.88

$3.35 MX$56.7

69.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.70

$6.91 MX$117

-20.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.73 MX$29.20

7.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.26 MX$38.21

-30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.23

$1.77 MX$29.91

46.89%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.10

$2.73 MX$46.19

74.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.53 €14.21

$9.18 MX$155

80.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.38

$8.92 MX$151

22.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 €13.32

$12.60 MX$213

22.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$3.02 MX$51.1

-22.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.57 MX$26.55

40.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.13 MX$35.93

-31.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.26 MX$38.28

-8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$2.00 MX$33.88

-37.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.12

$2.06 MX$34.90

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.18 MX$19.94

-16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.67

$1.20 MX$20.35

-34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 €4.46

$4.63 MX$78.4

11.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 €6.59

$10.69 MX$181

-28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.62 MX$27.38

31.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.63

$2.88 MX$48.70

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 €1.28

$0.57 MX$9.69

161.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.5 €58.9

$29.83 MX$504

129.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.01

$5.45 MX$92.1

-14.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.70 MX$62.6

-69.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.47 €9.86

$5.98 MX$101

91.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.55 MX$26.26

41.29%

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

$29.6K €25.4K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

32.49%

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

$25.7K €22.1K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-0.87%

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

$204 €175

$89.1 MX$1,507

128.46%

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

$32.27 €27.75

$25.04 MX$423

28.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.36 €34.70

$31.50 MX$532

28.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €43.37

$67.8 MX$1,146

-25.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.01 €35.26

$28.92 MX$489

41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.43 €8.11

$5.05 MX$85.4

86.73%

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

$420 €361

$225 MX$3,803

86.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 €3,606

$4,222 MX$71.4K

-0.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €74.9

$47.44 MX$802

83.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 €38.70

$44.98 MX$760

0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 €75.7

$82.0 MX$1,386

7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$92.1 MX$1,557

53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 €557

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 €442

$405 MX$6,852

26.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 €998

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-40.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €884

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-20.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,893 €3,347

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-2.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,836 €2,438

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 €995

$749 MX$12.7K

54.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

11.45

-61.22%

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

Last update for Heraklion: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Heraklion and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 55% 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: $58.0 in Heraklion vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Heraklion, 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: $648 in Heraklion versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $420 in Heraklion versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,643 in Heraklion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Heraklion 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 27% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.