Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Les Escaldes and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Les Escaldes: $355 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Les Escaldes

🇦🇩 Andorra

$355

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $355 in Les Escaldes versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Les Escaldes $355
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,801 in Les Escaldes versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Les Escaldes $1,801
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,247 in Les Escaldes versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Les Escaldes $3,247
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Les Escaldes costs roughly 71% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Les Escaldes 74% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.44 €12.94

$10.92 MX$205

32.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 €34.57

$43.37 MX$815

-11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.19

$11.78 MX$221

15.45%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.28

$3.81 MX$71.6

-33.07%

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

$2.44 €2.19

$1.28 MX$24.10

90.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$0.78 MX$14.71

111.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 €2.77

$3.17 MX$59.5

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.78

$4.93 MX$92.7

-37.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.41 MX$26.43

49.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

Eggs

$4.14 €3.71

$2.52 MX$47.41

64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 €15.29

$12.69 MX$239

34.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 €3.40

$2.78 MX$52.3

36.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €5.06

$4.30 MX$80.7

31.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 €6.03

$9.95 MX$187

-32.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 €2.00

$0.55 MX$10.40

305.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.44 MX$27.14

31.25%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 €2,506

$1,708 MX$32.1K

63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 €2,037

$1,075 MX$20.2K

111.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K €10.2K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

84.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,353

$735 MX$13.8K

257.51%

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 Les Escaldes: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Les Escaldes

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Les Escaldes pays about 3.6 times 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 Les Escaldes vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $121 vs $255 per month, with Les Escaldes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇩 Les Escaldes

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

6 h behind Les Escaldes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,853

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Les Escaldes Playa del Carmen 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Les Escaldes
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $355 in Les Escaldes and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Les Escaldes is about 71% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Les Escaldes is about 3.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Les Escaldes – a meal for two runs $39 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $355 per month in Les Escaldes versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Les Escaldes is about 71% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $355 in Les Escaldes versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Les Escaldes but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Les Escaldes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.