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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,322 in Ioannina versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Ioannina versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Ioannina versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ioannina is roughly 4% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ioannina 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.78

$11.87 MX$204

44.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.05 €29.33

$42.90 MX$736

-20.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 €8.25

$10.65 MX$183

-10.14%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.28

$3.45 MX$59.2

10.14%

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

$2.28 €1.96

$1.50 MX$25.81

52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.95 MX$16.28

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 €3.87

$3.03 MX$51.9

48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.03

$4.61 MX$79.1

26.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.38 MX$23.61

7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.85 MX$31.70

-35.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.61 MX$27.65

47.83%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.83

$2.59 MX$44.51

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 €9.13

$8.26 MX$142

28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$8.37 MX$144

-4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 €9.34

$10.66 MX$183

1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.63 MX$45.12

-23.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.49 MX$25.53

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.92 MX$32.94

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.09 MX$35.81

15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.86 MX$31.88

-36.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.26 MX$38.81

-52.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.06 MX$18.23

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.09 MX$18.67

-21.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 €4.48

$4.15 MX$71.2

25.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €5.93

$10.39 MX$178

-33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.72 MX$29.59

16.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.61 MX$44.85

7.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.54 MX$9.30

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.29 €30.41

$26.94 MX$462

30.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €3.89

$3.13 MX$53.7

44.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.15 MX$54.1

122.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.27 MX$21.88

65.35%

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

$24.9K €21.5K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-18.00%

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

$26.6K €22.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

12.69%

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

$219 €189

$83.0 MX$1,425

164.35%

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

$20.73 €17.86

$22.71 MX$390

-8.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.09 €26.79

$29.46 MX$506

5.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.65 €40.19

$51.0 MX$875

-8.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.10 €39.72

$18.33 MX$315

151.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 €8.21

$4.93 MX$84.5

93.31%

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

$342 €295

$197 MX$3,386

73.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 €7,150

$5,280 MX$90.6K

57.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 €59.9

$36.90 MX$633

88.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 €32.69

$39.89 MX$685

-4.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 €66.9

$80.0 MX$1,373

-2.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$89.5 MX$1,536

30.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 €352

$956 MX$16.4K

-57.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 €269

$477 MX$8,189

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 €593

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-58.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 €483

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-54.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,068 €2,644

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-21.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 €2,198

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-60.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,125 €969

$667 MX$11.4K

68.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.42

-59.02%

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

Last update for Ioannina: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Ioannina and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ioannina pays 69% 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: $34.00 in Ioannina vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $250 per month, with Ioannina 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

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

Ioannina and Playa del Carmen differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,322 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ioannina pays 69% 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: $408 in Ioannina versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Ioannina versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ioannina pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,322 in Ioannina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ioannina. 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, Ioannina 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 4% less than in Ioannina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.