Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Piedras, Puerto Rico and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,308 in Las Piedras, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Las Piedras despite lower rent and utilities.

Las Piedras, Puerto Rico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Las Piedras
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,308
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,308 per month in Las Piedras vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Las Piedras $1,308
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,009 per month in Las Piedras vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Las Piedras $2,009
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Las Piedras vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Las Piedras $2,710
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Las Piedras costs about 9% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Las Piedras and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Las Piedras 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.50 $19.50
$10.67 MX$199
82.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.1 $60.1
$43.80 MX$815
37.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.18 $9.18
$11.79 MX$219
-22.14%
Cappuccino
$3.47 $3.47
$3.79 MX$70.5
-8.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.30 MX$24.14
-25.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 $1.03
$0.83 MX$15.51
24.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 $1.54
$3.15 MX$58.6
-51.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$4.93 MX$91.8
-54.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.41 MX$26.22
51.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.20 MX$40.86
60.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.47 MX$27.40
65.31%
Eggs
$7.58 $7.58
$2.50 MX$46.47
203.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.56 $12.56
$7.29 MX$136
72.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 $9.49
$7.95 MX$148
19.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.55 $13.55
$12.86 MX$239
5.37%
Apples (1kg)
$5.00 $5.00
$2.90 MX$53.9
72.41%
Banana (1kg)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.38 MX$25.74
93.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.82 $4.82
$2.49 MX$46.36
93.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.94 $4.94
$2.03 MX$37.78
143.35%
Potato (1kg)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.02 MX$37.69
82.18%
Onion (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$1.90 MX$35.42
108.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.37 $3.37
$1.14 MX$21.30
195.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.24 MX$23.06
28.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.06 $12.06
$4.27 MX$79.5
182.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.91 $15.91
$9.81 MX$183
62.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.59 MX$29.51
93.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 $3.91
$2.75 MX$51.1
42.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.51 MX$9.58
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.39 MX$510
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.51 $2.51
$4.76 MX$88.6
-47.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$3.25 MX$60.5
-53.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.50 $41.50
$5.39 MX$100
669.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.53 MX$28.44
-45.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
65.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K $28.4K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
22.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$324 $324
$83.5 MX$1,554
287.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$23.19 MX$431
202.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.5 $70.5
$27.61 MX$514
155.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$56.4 MX$1,050
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$525
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 $10.42
$5.00 MX$93.1
108.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$825 $825
$207 MX$3,854
298.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K $12.1K
$5,231 MX$97.4K
130.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 $55.2
$43.45 MX$809
26.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.6 $61.6
$42.54 MX$792
44.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$72.8 MX$1,354
52.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$88.4 MX$1,645
28.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$995 MX$18.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$382 MX$7,116
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,674 MX$31.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Las Piedras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
11.45
-42.79%

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

Last update for Las Piedras: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Las Piedras
$464
Playa del Carmen
$134 71.1% $330
Groceries & Markets
Las Piedras
$414
Playa del Carmen
$257 37.8% $157
Eating Out
Las Piedras
$245
Playa del Carmen
$200 18.4% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Las Piedras
$153
Playa del Carmen
$111 27.5% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Las Piedras
$21 *
Playa del Carmen
$66 219% $46
Getting Around
Las Piedras
$10 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 402% $40
Accommodation & Living
Las Piedras
- *
Playa del Carmen
$382

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Las Piedras versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 Las Piedras
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
19:50 7:50 PM
18:50 6:50 PM
1 h behind Las Piedras
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Las Piedras Playa del Carmen 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Las Piedras
  • 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
Las Piedras vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Las Piedras?
Yes – Las Piedras is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,962 per month in Las Piedras and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Las Piedras or in Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Las Piedras and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Las Piedras and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Las Piedras, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 enough for either Las Piedras or Playa del Carmen?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,308 in Las Piedras and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Las Piedras or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,308 in Las Piedras. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Las Piedras vs other spots: cost of living compared

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