Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izola and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,674 in Izola, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Izola
🇸🇮 Slovenia
$1,674
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Izola versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Izola $1,674
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,541 in Izola versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Izola $2,541
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,407 in Izola versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Izola $3,407
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Izola is roughly 38% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Izola is 24% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.19 €9.95
$10.76 MX$199
4.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.5 €50.2
$43.03 MX$795
31.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.86 €7.89
$11.79 MX$218
-24.85%
Cappuccino
$1.37 €1.22
$3.87 MX$71.4
-64.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 €2.97
$1.37 MX$25.29
143.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.84 MX$15.44
167.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.57 €3.17
$3.10 MX$57.3
15.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.40 €3.91
$5.07 MX$93.6
-13.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.44 MX$26.55
-16.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 €1.34
$2.23 MX$41.23
-32.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.47 MX$27.17
54.42%
Eggs
$2.36 €2.10
$2.53 MX$46.71
-6.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.89 €11.47
$7.30 MX$135
76.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.51 €8.46
$7.86 MX$145
20.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.92 €12.38
$12.79 MX$236
8.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 €1.63
$2.90 MX$53.6
-36.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.44 MX$26.53
17.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 €1.58
$2.55 MX$47.07
-30.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.79 €2.48
$2.06 MX$38.03
35.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 €1.08
$2.00 MX$36.97
-39.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.01 MX$37.07
-34.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 €0.98
$1.19 MX$22.02
-6.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 €0.62
$1.26 MX$23.23
-45.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.81 €5.17
$4.40 MX$81.4
32.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.14 €4.57
$9.59 MX$177
-46.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.59 MX$29.41
-27.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 €1.12
$2.81 MX$51.9
-55.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 €1.84
$0.57 MX$10.47
263.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.25 €30.47
$27.82 MX$514
23.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 €1.48
$4.98 MX$92.1
-66.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.50 MX$64.6
-60.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 €25.36
$5.40 MX$99.8
427.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.67 €1.49
$1.47 MX$27.08
13.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K €24.3K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
30.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K €22.5K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
5.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$293 €260
$84.2 MX$1,556
247.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.92 €7.05
$23.99 MX$443
-66.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.74 €33.57
$29.02 MX$536
30.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 €45.16
$63.0 MX$1,164
-19.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.14 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 €6.95
$4.94 MX$91.3
58.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$501 €446
$204 MX$3,763
146.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K €10.1K
$3,941 MX$72.8K
187.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$118 €105
$43.60 MX$806
171.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.24 €33.12
$43.12 MX$797
-13.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 €108
$75.8 MX$1,400
60.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 €130
$88.6 MX$1,637
65.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$702 €624
$1,008 MX$18.6K
-30.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$595 €529
$374 MX$6,911
58.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,229 €1,093
$1,708 MX$31.6K
-28.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 €1,035
$1,106 MX$20.4K
5.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,540 €4,038
$3,944 MX$72.9K
15.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,224 €2,868
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-47.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Izola
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,601 €1,424
$754 MX$13.9K
112.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.29
11.45
-71.27%

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

Last update for Izola: October 10, 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
Izola
$595
Playa del Carmen
$374 37.1% $221
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Izola
$338
Playa del Carmen
$137 59.5% $201
Groceries & Markets
Izola
$252
Playa del Carmen
$258 2.7% $6.9
Clothing & Footwear
Izola
$191
Playa del Carmen
$113 40.7% $78
Eating Out
Izola
$182
Playa del Carmen
$202 11.4% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Izola
$66
Playa del Carmen
$73 9.7% $6.5
Getting Around
Izola
$51
Playa del Carmen
$53 2.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Izola and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izola pays 112% 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 Izola vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $258, with Izola cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇮 Izola
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
05:25 5:25 AM
22:25 10:25 PM
7 h behind Izola
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,300
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Izola Playa del Carmen 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Izola
  • 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
Izola vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Izola or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Izola. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Izola or in Playa del Carmen?
Average pay runs 112% higher in Izola, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Izola compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $702 in Izola versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Izola and in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $56.0 in Izola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Izola compared to Playa del Carmen?
All in, you'll spend $1,674 per month in Izola versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Izola or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,674 in Izola, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Izola. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Izola or Playa del Carmen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Izola compared to Playa del Carmen?
Safety-wise, Izola 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Izola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Izola vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?