Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Tablas and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Tablas: $458 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Las Tablas

🇵🇦 Panama

$458

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $458 per month in Las Tablas vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Las Tablas $458
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $681 per month in Las Tablas vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Las Tablas $681
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $904 per month in Las Tablas vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Las Tablas $904
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Las Tablas is about 62% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Las Tablas and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Las Tablas 66% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 PAB 10.08

$10.67 MX$200

-5.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.60 PAB 29.60

$43.80 MX$823

-32.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 PAB 8.75

$11.79 MX$221

-25.78%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

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

$1.02 PAB 1.02

$1.30 MX$24.36

-21.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 PAB 1.02

$0.83 MX$15.65

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$3.15 MX$59.1

-60.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 PAB 2.71

$4.93 MX$92.7

-45.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$2.20 MX$41.23

-10.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

Eggs

$2.06 PAB 2.06

$2.50 MX$46.89

-17.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 PAB 4.38

$2.90 MX$54.4

51.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 PAB 1.29

$1.38 MX$25.98

-6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 PAB 1.51

$2.03 MX$38.12

-25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 PAB 1.28

$1.14 MX$21.49

12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 PAB 0.98

$1.24 MX$23.27

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 PAB 5.80

$9.81 MX$184

-40.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 PAB 1.30

$1.59 MX$29.78

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$2.75 MX$51.6

-37.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 PAB 1.01

$4.76 MX$89.4

-78.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PAB 0.94

$1.53 MX$28.70

-38.56%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$147 PAB 147

$83.5 MX$1,568

76.16%

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

$22.59 PAB 22.59

$23.19 MX$435

-2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 PAB 37.18

$27.61 MX$519

34.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.02 PAB 20.02

$56.4 MX$1,060

-64.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

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

$207 MX$3,889

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Las Tablas: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Las Tablas

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Las Tablas versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $257 – making Las Tablas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Las Tablas

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

Same time as Las Tablas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,939

149,923

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Las Tablas Playa del Carmen 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Las Tablas
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 Tablas vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 162% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $687 per month in Las Tablas and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $458 in Las Tablas and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Las Tablas about 62% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 149% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Las Tablas, where all-in costs run around $458, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Las Tablas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $458 in Las Tablas to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.