Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Jaco Beach versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,155 in Jaco Beach versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Jaco Beach versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Jaco Beach is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jaco Beach is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₡3,242

$11.95 MX$209

-39.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.16 ₡18.1K

$41.94 MX$734

-4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 ₡4,006

$10.42 MX$182

-14.78%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ₡1,740

$3.51 MX$61.5

9.97%

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

$1.58 ₡711

$1.52 MX$26.56

3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₡449

$0.91 MX$15.95

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 ₡1,322

$3.04 MX$53.2

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,304

$4.37 MX$76.5

-33.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₡628

$1.42 MX$24.89

-2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 ₡894

$1.83 MX$32.07

8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡971

$1.63 MX$28.63

31.90%

Eggs

$2.43 ₡1,095

$2.54 MX$44.48

-4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,527

$8.57 MX$150

17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 ₡3,745

$8.49 MX$149

-2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ₡4,853

$10.80 MX$189

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,057

$2.75 MX$48.25

65.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡648

$1.44 MX$25.16

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 ₡1,936

$1.89 MX$33.04

126.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 ₡1,404

$2.17 MX$38.01

43.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.78 MX$31.17

-24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.22 MX$38.96

-39.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₡411

$1.07 MX$18.72

-14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡783

$1.08 MX$18.91

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.33 ₡2,406

$4.15 MX$72.6

28.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 ₡6,387

$10.45 MX$183

35.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₡1,054

$1.74 MX$30.53

34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡877

$2.58 MX$45.21

-24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡457

$0.51 MX$8.99

98.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡839

$3.21 MX$56.2

-42.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 ₡806

$2.50 MX$43.83

-28.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 ₡3,474

$3.19 MX$55.8

141.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡638

$1.26 MX$22.01

11.90%

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

$37.6K ₡17.0M

$29.7K MX$520.0K

26.70%

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

$32.8K ₡14.8M

$23.7K MX$414.8K

38.55%

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

$72.8 ₡32.8K

$82.0 MX$1,437

-11.26%

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

$21.44 ₡9,672

$22.73 MX$398

-5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.10 ₡19.4K

$29.42 MX$515

46.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.12 ₡21.3K

$52.2 MX$914

-9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.97 ₡10.8K

$18.45 MX$323

29.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 ₡4,364

$4.93 MX$86.4

96.35%

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

$446 ₡201.0K

$202 MX$3,534

120.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,679 ₡3.0M

$5,217 MX$91.4K

28.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 ₡28.2K

$35.93 MX$629

74.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 ₡22.8K

$40.33 MX$706

25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.3K

$79.9 MX$1,399

59.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.2K

$89.3 MX$1,564

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₡248.7K

$948 MX$16.6K

-41.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₡227.0K

$465 MX$8,150

8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 ₡838.6K

$1,630 MX$28.5K

14.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₡459.0K

$1,193 MX$20.9K

-14.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 ₡178.4K

$658 MX$11.5K

-39.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.42

-10.95%

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

Last update for Jaco Beach: July 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Jaco Beach and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Jaco Beach vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $551 in Jaco Beach versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $446 in Jaco Beach versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $40.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,344 in Jaco Beach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Jaco Beach 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 7% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.