Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $656 per month in Iquitos vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iquitos $656
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,177 per month in Iquitos vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iquitos $1,177
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,697 per month in Iquitos vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iquitos $1,697
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Iquitos is about 45% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iquitos and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Iquitos 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 PEN 14.56

$10.67 MX$200

-60.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.33 PEN 128

$43.80 MX$823

-14.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 PEN 24.34

$11.79 MX$221

-40.03%

Cappuccino

$3.41 PEN 11.75

$3.79 MX$71.1

-10.03%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.85

$1.30 MX$24.36

-36.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$0.83 MX$15.65

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 PEN 10.06

$3.15 MX$59.1

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 PEN 24.74

$4.93 MX$92.7

45.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$1.41 MX$26.46

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PEN 7.78

$2.20 MX$41.23

2.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

Eggs

$2.60 PEN 8.95

$2.50 MX$46.89

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 PEN 11.03

$7.95 MX$149

-59.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.24 MX$23.27

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$35.08 PEN 121

$83.5 MX$1,568

-57.98%

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

$11.15 PEN 38.36

$23.19 MX$435

-51.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.58 PEN 29.54

$27.61 MX$519

-68.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 PEN 102

$56.4 MX$1,060

-47.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 PEN 30.60

$28.19 MX$529

-68.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 PEN 19.37

$5.00 MX$93.9

12.60%

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

$207 MX$3,889

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 PEN 9,499

$5,231 MX$98.2K

-47.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 PEN 301

$43.45 MX$816

101.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 PEN 118

$42.54 MX$799

-19.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 PEN 180

$72.8 MX$1,367

-28.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.33 PEN 90.6

$88.4 MX$1,660

-70.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,195

$995 MX$18.7K

-65.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 PEN 902

$382 MX$7,181

-31.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 PEN 2,952

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-48.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 PEN 2,471

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-33.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 PEN 1,994

$832 MX$15.6K

-30.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Iquitos versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Iquitos versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $77 vs $257 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

Same time as Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

149,923

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquitos Playa del Carmen 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $983 per month in Iquitos and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 235% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Iquitos and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.