Cost of Living Comparison Between Latina and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Latina and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,617 in Latina versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Latina versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,547 in Latina versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Latina is roughly 25% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Latina is 18% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 €17.56

$11.71 MX$198

74.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.8

$46.59 MX$786

26.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.46

$11.65 MX$197

-5.58%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.60

$4.09 MX$69.1

-54.52%

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

$3.08 €2.65

$1.37 MX$23.20

124.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.83 MX$14.07

69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €4.86

$3.35 MX$56.6

68.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$6.91 MX$117

-33.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.73 MX$29.15

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.26 MX$38.15

-10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.77 MX$29.86

57.63%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.26

$2.73 MX$46.12

81.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 €15.47

$9.18 MX$155

95.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 €10.50

$8.92 MX$151

36.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.22 €16.54

$12.60 MX$213

52.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.48

$3.02 MX$51.0

-4.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.57 MX$26.51

42.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.13 MX$35.88

42.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.26 MX$38.22

43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.00 MX$33.82

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.06 MX$34.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.18 MX$19.91

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$1.20 MX$20.32

-50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 €5.49

$4.63 MX$78.2

37.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.39

$10.69 MX$180

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.62 MX$27.33

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.88 MX$48.63

-43.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.27

$0.57 MX$9.68

159.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 €29.49

$29.83 MX$503

14.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.08

$5.45 MX$91.9

-13.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$3.70 MX$62.5

-51.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.66 €20.36

$5.98 MX$101

295.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.55 MX$26.22

30.32%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

44.67%

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

$34.9K €30.0K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

34.47%

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

$217 €187

$89.1 MX$1,504

144.00%

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

$14.66 €12.61

$25.04 MX$423

-41.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.18 €27.69

$31.50 MX$532

2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 €50.7

$67.8 MX$1,144

-13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.67 €12.62

$28.92 MX$488

-49.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 €7.66

$5.05 MX$85.2

76.44%

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

$461 €397

$225 MX$3,797

105.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €80.0

$47.44 MX$801

95.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.11 €28.49

$44.98 MX$759

-26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$82.0 MX$1,384

50.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$92.1 MX$1,555

46.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 €508

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 €390

$405 MX$6,842

11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €940

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$889 €765

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-31.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 €2,423

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-29.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 €1,801

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-68.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,993 €1,715

$749 MX$12.6K

166.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

11.45

-62.01%

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

Last update for Latina: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Latina and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Latina pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Latina vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Latina, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $590 in Latina versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $59.0 in Latina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,617 per month in Latina versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,617 in Latina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Latina. 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 Latina, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Latina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.