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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,480 in Ilion versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Ilion versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Ilion versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ilion is roughly 16% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilion is 10% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 €11.75

$11.87 MX$204

14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €48.49

$42.90 MX$736

31.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 €7.56

$10.65 MX$183

-17.65%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.40

$3.45 MX$59.2

14.49%

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

$1.66 €1.43

$1.50 MX$25.81

10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.95 MX$16.28

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.11

$3.03 MX$51.9

95.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$4.61 MX$79.1

26.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.38 MX$23.61

38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.85 MX$31.70

-28.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$1.61 MX$27.65

72.67%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.27

$2.59 MX$44.51

91.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 €11.74

$8.26 MX$142

65.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.37

$8.37 MX$144

29.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 €13.16

$10.66 MX$183

43.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.63 MX$45.12

-14.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.49 MX$25.53

43.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.92 MX$32.94

-17.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.09 MX$35.81

24.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.86 MX$31.88

-23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$2.26 MX$38.81

-46.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.06 MX$18.23

-14.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.09 MX$18.67

4.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.15 MX$71.2

37.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 €7.16

$10.39 MX$178

-20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.72 MX$29.59

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.61 MX$44.85

10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.54 MX$9.30

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.27 €39.87

$26.94 MX$462

71.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 €3.42

$3.13 MX$53.7

26.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.46 €9.87

$3.15 MX$54.1

263.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.27 MX$21.88

66.93%

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

$29.1K €25.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-4.08%

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

$25.6K €22.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

8.62%

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

$218 €188

$83.0 MX$1,425

162.90%

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

$26.89 €23.17

$22.71 MX$390

18.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €28.21

$29.46 MX$506

11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 €41.06

$51.0 MX$875

-6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 €22.97

$18.33 MX$315

45.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 €8.17

$4.93 MX$84.5

92.29%

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

$511 €440

$197 MX$3,386

159.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,404 €5,517

$5,280 MX$90.6K

21.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$36.90 MX$633

148.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.55 €28.04

$39.89 MX$685

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.5

$80.0 MX$1,373

27.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.2

$89.5 MX$1,536

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 €422

$956 MX$16.4K

-48.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 €337

$477 MX$8,189

-17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 €680

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 €528

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-49.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,798 €3,273

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-3.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,059 €2,636

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-52.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,305 €1,124

$667 MX$11.4K

95.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.42

-57.97%

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

Last update for Ilion: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Ilion and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 96% 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: $56.0 in Ilion vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $250 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

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

Ilion and Playa del Carmen differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,480 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ilion pays 96% more on average, 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: $490 in Ilion versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $511 in Ilion versus $197 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 22% higher in Ilion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,480 in Ilion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ilion. 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, Ilion 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 16% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.