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: $1,318 in Jaco Beach versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Jaco Beach versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,928 in Jaco Beach versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Jaco Beach is roughly 4% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jaco Beach 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 ₡3,189

$11.61 MX$201

-39.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.46 ₡18.0K

$42.75 MX$742

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 ₡4,162

$10.60 MX$184

-14.06%

Cappuccino

$3.95 ₡1,806

$3.59 MX$62.3

10.03%

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

$1.53 ₡701

$1.45 MX$25.21

5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₡422

$0.90 MX$15.58

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 ₡1,345

$3.03 MX$52.6

-2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,324

$4.56 MX$79.2

-36.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₡635

$1.45 MX$25.20

-4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ₡917

$1.83 MX$31.72

9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡983

$1.61 MX$27.92

33.54%

Eggs

$2.42 ₡1,108

$2.54 MX$44.05

-4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 ₡4,421

$8.54 MX$148

13.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 ₡3,819

$8.47 MX$147

-1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ₡5,072

$10.86 MX$189

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₡2,108

$2.73 MX$47.37

68.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₡696

$1.49 MX$25.91

2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 ₡1,884

$1.94 MX$33.73

112.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 ₡1,437

$2.16 MX$37.57

45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ₡632

$1.85 MX$32.05

-25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ₡610

$2.19 MX$38.00

-39.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₡408

$1.07 MX$18.62

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₡812

$1.08 MX$18.81

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 ₡2,353

$4.06 MX$70.5

26.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 ₡6,365

$10.46 MX$182

33.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₡1,106

$1.65 MX$28.71

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₡901

$2.55 MX$44.23

-22.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₡458

$0.56 MX$9.65

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡857

$3.14 MX$54.5

-40.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 ₡827

$2.37 MX$41.17

-23.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 ₡3,637

$3.24 MX$56.2

145.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₡673

$1.31 MX$22.81

12.21%

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

$37.9K ₡17.3M

$30.5K MX$530.2K

24.12%

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

$31.9K ₡14.6M

$23.8K MX$413.6K

33.98%

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

$71.0 ₡32.4K

$83.1 MX$1,443

-14.63%

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

$22.01 ₡10.1K

$22.15 MX$385

-0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.16 ₡19.3K

$29.37 MX$510

43.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 ₡21.7K

$51.2 MX$889

-7.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.05 ₡11.0K

$18.69 MX$324

28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 ₡4,567

$4.89 MX$84.9

104.50%

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

$444 ₡202.7K

$199 MX$3,449

123.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 ₡3.0M

$5,207 MX$90.4K

27.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ₡28.0K

$35.93 MX$624

70.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 ₡23.1K

$39.39 MX$684

28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡57.1K

$80.3 MX$1,394

55.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.6K

$87.6 MX$1,520

24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 ₡249.8K

$963 MX$16.7K

-43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₡225.6K

$482 MX$8,370

2.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 ₡864.7K

$1,645 MX$28.6K

15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₡475.4K

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-12.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$397 ₡181.3K

$726 MX$12.6K

-45.37%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $547 in Jaco Beach and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39 in Jaco Beach vs $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $253, 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 83% less. 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: $547 in Jaco Beach versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $444 in Jaco Beach versus $199 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 $43.00 versus $39.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,318 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 4% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.