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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Imperatriz versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in Imperatriz versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,722 in Imperatriz versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Imperatriz costs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Imperatriz 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.45 R$27.57

$11.87 MX$204

-54.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.60 R$135

$42.90 MX$736

-38.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 R$32.26

$10.65 MX$183

-40.19%

Cappuccino

$1.81 R$9.14

$3.45 MX$59.2

-47.54%

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

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.50 MX$25.81

-24.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 R$2.17

$0.95 MX$16.28

-54.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.17

$3.03 MX$51.9

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.39

$4.61 MX$79.1

-42.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.80

$1.38 MX$23.61

-31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.71

$1.85 MX$31.70

-17.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.93

$1.61 MX$27.65

-27.33%

Eggs

$1.97 R$9.99

$2.59 MX$44.51

-23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 R$41.11

$8.26 MX$142

-1.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.32

$8.37 MX$144

-56.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.19 R$36.41

$10.66 MX$183

-32.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.48

$2.63 MX$45.12

-21.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.49 MX$25.53

-12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.92 MX$32.94

-38.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.33

$2.09 MX$35.81

-30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$1.86 MX$31.88

-37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.37

$2.26 MX$38.81

-53.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.48

$1.06 MX$18.23

-34.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.09 MX$18.67

-38.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$11.01

$4.15 MX$71.2

-47.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 R$38.97

$10.39 MX$178

-25.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.72 MX$29.59

-26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R$10.01

$2.61 MX$44.85

-24.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.69

$0.54 MX$9.30

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.11 R$198

$26.94 MX$462

45.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.36

$3.13 MX$53.7

-66.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.57

$2.51 MX$43.09

-71.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 R$33.18

$3.15 MX$54.1

107.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.27 MX$21.88

-14.17%

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

$20.9K R$105.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-31.35%

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

$27.8K R$140.8K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

18.03%

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

$60.4 R$306

$83.0 MX$1,425

-27.18%

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

$13.68 R$69.3

$22.71 MX$390

-39.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.56 R$93.9

$29.46 MX$506

-37.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.68 R$115

$51.0 MX$875

-55.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.65 R$110

$18.33 MX$315

18.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 R$31.39

$4.93 MX$84.5

25.76%

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

$274 R$1,387

$197 MX$3,386

38.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,364 R$32.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

20.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.61 R$246

$36.90 MX$633

31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.89 R$212

$39.89 MX$685

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 R$391

$80.0 MX$1,373

-3.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 R$331

$89.5 MX$1,536

-26.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 R$1,591

$956 MX$16.4K

-67.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R$1,097

$477 MX$8,189

-54.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 R$2,967

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,198

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-64.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,649 R$8,349

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-57.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 R$6,101

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-81.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.42

-4.38%

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

Last update for Imperatriz: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $314 in Imperatriz and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Imperatriz vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $250 per month, with Imperatriz 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

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

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,169 in Imperatriz and $1,906 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $314 in Imperatriz versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $779 in Imperatriz versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.