Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between L'Aquila and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,573 in L'Aquila, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in L'Aquila
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L'Aquila Living Index
59

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

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L'Aquila

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,573

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,573 per month in L'Aquila vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

L'Aquila $1,573
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $2,426 per month in L'Aquila vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

L'Aquila $2,426
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in L'Aquila vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

L'Aquila $3,279
Playa del Carmen $3,016

L'Aquila costs about 30% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

L'Aquila sits 17% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.60 €20.11

$10.76 MX$199

110.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 €59.1

$43.03 MX$795

54.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.08

$11.79 MX$218

15.18%

Cappuccino

$1.82 €1.62

$3.87 MX$71.4

-52.97%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.37 MX$25.29

102.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.84 MX$15.44

29.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 €4.94

$3.10 MX$57.3

79.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.87

$5.07 MX$93.6

-14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.44 MX$26.55

-1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 €2.56

$2.23 MX$41.23

29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.47 MX$27.17

52.38%

Eggs

$3.39 €3.02

$2.53 MX$46.71

33.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.89 €15.91

$7.30 MX$135

145.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.95

$7.86 MX$145

56.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$12.79 MX$236

39.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.90 MX$53.6

-27.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.44 MX$26.53

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.94

$2.55 MX$47.07

-14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.06 MX$38.03

37.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.00 MX$36.97

-16.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.54

$2.01 MX$37.07

-13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.19 MX$22.02

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 €0.35

$1.26 MX$23.23

-68.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 €5.57

$4.40 MX$81.4

42.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$9.59 MX$177

-42.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.59 MX$29.41

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.81 MX$51.9

-35.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.57 MX$10.47

201.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.51 €34.26

$27.82 MX$514

38.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 €4.72

$4.98 MX$92.1

6.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$3.50 MX$64.6

-59.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.84 €22.09

$5.40 MX$99.8

360.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.47 MX$27.08

36.73%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

63.94%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

49.32%

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

$197 €175

$84.2 MX$1,556

133.69%

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

$14.90 €13.26

$23.99 MX$443

-37.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 €27.90

$29.02 MX$536

8.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 €48.71

$63.0 MX$1,164

-13.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.12 €25.01

$29.14 MX$539

-3.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 €7.52

$4.94 MX$91.3

71.05%

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

$135 €120

$204 MX$3,763

-33.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €11.1K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

215.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €88.4

$43.60 MX$806

127.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 €31.53

$43.12 MX$797

-17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.4

$75.8 MX$1,400

29.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €98.4

$88.6 MX$1,637

24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 €486

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-45.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 €383

$374 MX$6,911

15.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 €749

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-50.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €615

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,781 €2,474

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-29.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,653 €1,471

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-73.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,848 €1,643

$754 MX$13.9K

144.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

11.45

-73.62%

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

Last update for L'Aquila: October 11, 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

L'Aquila

$431 27.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 13.2% $57

Groceries & Markets

L'Aquila

$320 20.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 19.2% $61

Eating Out

L'Aquila

$295 18.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 31.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

L'Aquila

$243 15.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 43.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

L'Aquila

$155 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 27% $42

Sport & Entertainment

L'Aquila

$72 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 1.7% $1.2

Getting Around

L'Aquila

$58 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 9.1% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $546 in L'Aquila versus $1,008 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 145% higher in L'Aquila, 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 $66.0 in L'Aquila versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 L'Aquila

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

7 h behind L'Aquila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,753

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

L'Aquila Playa del Carmen 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

L'Aquila
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

L'Aquila vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,573 in L'Aquila, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,360 per month in L'Aquila and $1,816 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in L'Aquila and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in L'Aquila at $1,573. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in L'Aquila 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 $1,210 in Playa del Carmen to $1,573 in L'Aquila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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