Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iglesias and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,563 in Iglesias, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Iglesias
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,563
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,563 in Iglesias versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Iglesias $1,563
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,439 in Iglesias versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Iglesias $2,439
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,316 in Iglesias versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Iglesias $3,316
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Iglesias is roughly 29% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iglesias is 16% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.87 €19.46
$10.76 MX$199
103.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0 €59.6
$43.03 MX$795
55.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.99 €9.78
$11.79 MX$218
-6.79%
Cappuccino
$1.92 €1.71
$3.87 MX$71.4
-50.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$1.37 MX$25.29
102.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.84 MX$15.44
29.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.53 €4.92
$3.10 MX$57.3
78.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.11 €4.55
$5.07 MX$93.6
0.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.44 MX$26.55
-22.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.23 MX$41.23
-50.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.47 MX$27.17
16.33%
Eggs
$3.39 €3.01
$2.53 MX$46.71
33.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.91 €15.04
$7.30 MX$135
131.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.34 €6.53
$7.86 MX$145
-6.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.44 €6.62
$12.79 MX$236
-41.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.32
$2.90 MX$53.6
-10.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.44 MX$26.53
23.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 €1.99
$2.55 MX$47.07
-12.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 €1.50
$2.06 MX$38.03
-18.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$2.00 MX$36.97
-2.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 €1.97
$2.01 MX$37.07
10.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.31
$1.19 MX$22.02
24.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 €0.47
$1.26 MX$23.23
-58.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.33 €5.63
$4.40 MX$81.4
43.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.07 €4.51
$9.59 MX$177
-47.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.59 MX$29.41
3.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 €1.61
$2.81 MX$51.9
-35.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.47
$0.57 MX$10.47
191.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.33 €32.32
$27.82 MX$514
30.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.50 €8.45
$4.98 MX$92.1
90.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 €1.33
$3.50 MX$64.6
-57.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.17 €27.73
$5.40 MX$99.8
477.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.47 MX$27.08
29.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
58.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K €31.9K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
50.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €140
$84.2 MX$1,556
87.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.75 €7.78
$23.99 MX$443
-63.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.46 €26.21
$29.02 MX$536
1.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.85 €44.34
$63.0 MX$1,164
-20.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.18 €24.18
$29.14 MX$539
-6.73%
Cinema Ticket
$8.92 €7.93
$4.94 MX$91.3
80.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$531 €472
$204 MX$3,763
160.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,070 €7,178
$3,941 MX$72.8K
104.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.0 €84.5
$43.60 MX$806
117.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.76 €38.04
$43.12 MX$797
-0.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.7 €83.4
$75.8 MX$1,400
23.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €103
$88.6 MX$1,637
30.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$712 €633
$1,008 MX$18.6K
-29.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 €499
$374 MX$6,911
49.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,040
$1,708 MX$31.6K
-31.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 €892
$1,106 MX$20.4K
-9.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,712 €2,412
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-31.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,767 €1,572
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-71.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iglesias
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$754 MX$13.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
11.45
-71.44%

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

Last update for Iglesias: October 11, 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
Iglesias
$561
Playa del Carmen
$374 33.3% $187
Eating Out
Iglesias
$284
Playa del Carmen
$202 28.9% $82
Groceries & Markets
Iglesias
$238
Playa del Carmen
$258 8.7% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iglesias
$196
Playa del Carmen
$137 29.9% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Iglesias
$156
Playa del Carmen
$113 27.7% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Iglesias
$68
Playa del Carmen
$73 7.7% $5.2
Getting Around
Iglesias
$60
Playa del Carmen
$53 12.3% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Iglesias and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Iglesias vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $258, with Iglesias cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Iglesias
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
19:32 7:32 PM
7 h behind Iglesias
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,170
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iglesias Playa del Carmen 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iglesias
  • 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
Iglesias vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Iglesias and in Playa del Carmen?
Iglesias and Playa del Carmen differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,563 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Iglesias compared to Playa del Carmen?
You'd need roughly $2,344 in Iglesias and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Iglesias and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $712 in Iglesias versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Iglesias pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $67.0 in Iglesias. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,563 in Iglesias, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Iglesias. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Iglesias and Playa del Carmen?
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.
Is Iglesias or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Iglesias 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.
Where should expats move: Iglesias or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Iglesias. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Iglesias vs other spots: cost of living compared

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