Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,284 on average across Mexico, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Higher rent and utilities on average across Mexico outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
Learn more

Mexico Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,284

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Playa del Carmen comes in 5% below the national average – $1,215 monthly against $1,284 in a typical Mexico city. Living here costs less than in the average Mexico city.

Mexico $1,284
Playa del Carmen $1,215

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 MX$203

$10.97 MX$200

1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.65 MX$794

$44.85 MX$816

-2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 MX$170

$11.92 MX$217

-21.81%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$65.4

$3.80 MX$69.2

-5.53%

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

$1.43 MX$25.97

$1.31 MX$23.86

9.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.83

$0.86 MX$15.58

20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MX$50.8

$3.21 MX$58.4

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$81.3

$5.01 MX$91.2

-10.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$29.73

$1.46 MX$26.53

11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 MX$51.3

$2.33 MX$42.33

21.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.21

$1.44 MX$26.24

22.92%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.66

$2.46 MX$44.78

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 MX$166

$7.70 MX$140

18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 MX$148

$7.89 MX$144

3.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$215

$12.80 MX$233

-7.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$53.4

$2.92 MX$53.1

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.66

$1.42 MX$25.87

11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$36.68

$2.57 MX$46.66

-21.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.51

$2.14 MX$38.88

-6.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$38.08

$1.95 MX$35.42

7.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.29

$1.94 MX$35.22

5.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.27

$1.15 MX$20.94

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.09

$1.22 MX$22.21

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 MX$83.9

$4.38 MX$79.6

5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 MX$198

$9.85 MX$179

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$31.93

$1.54 MX$27.97

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$58.9

$2.72 MX$49.40

19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.57

$0.52 MX$9.55

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.30 MX$497

$27.42 MX$499

-0.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 MX$51.4

$4.91 MX$89.4

-42.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 MX$49.08

$3.52 MX$64.1

-23.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 MX$202

$5.69 MX$103

95.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.41

$1.54 MX$28.01

-5.84%

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

$21.3K MX$387.4K

$21.2K MX$386.3K

0.27%

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

$24.1K MX$438.6K

$24.5K MX$445.4K

-1.54%

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

$69.8 MX$1,269

$83.6 MX$1,521

-16.55%

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

$23.51 MX$428

$24.03 MX$437

-2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 MX$536

$29.33 MX$534

0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.76 MX$687

$64.9 MX$1,180

-41.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$337

$29.46 MX$536

-37.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.28 MX$96.1

$5.09 MX$92.5

3.73%

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

$259 MX$4,720

$208 MX$3,778

24.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,247 MX$113.6K

$4,045 MX$73.6K

54.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,059

$44.55 MX$810

30.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 MX$757

$42.06 MX$765

-1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,824

$75.5 MX$1,374

32.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 MX$1,700

$91.4 MX$1,662

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$13.2K

$986 MX$17.9K

-26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MX$8,496

$385 MX$7,007

21.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 MX$25.0K

$1,713 MX$31.2K

-19.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 MX$16.4K

$1,108 MX$20.2K

-18.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,602 MX$47.3K

$4,016 MX$73.0K

-35.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 MX$27.5K

$6,247 MX$113.6K

-75.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 MX$14.6K

$758 MX$13.8K

5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.44

11.45

-0.09%

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

Last update for Mexico: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico

$467 36.4%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 17.5% $82

Groceries & Markets

Mexico

$274 21.4%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 5.1% $14

Eating Out

Mexico

$193 15%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 5.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico

$132 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 13.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico

$123 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 11.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico

$48 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 55.3% $27

Getting Around

Mexico

$46 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 12.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

Rent in Playa del Carmen ($986 for a central one-bedroom) sits below the Mexico average of $629. Lower housing costs free up budget for daily expenses and savings.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

00:40 12:40 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,777,324

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico Playa del Carmen 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico
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

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

Playa del Carmen comes in 5% below the national average – $1,215 monthly against $1,284 in a typical Mexico city. It's one of the more affordable urban options in the country, especially for cost-sensitive residents.

Rent in Playa del Carmen is 5% below the Mexico average – one of the city's key advantages. Cheaper housing frees up more of your budget for daily expenses, savings, or just enjoying life.

Playa del Carmen offers vibrant nightlife, clean air, remote work facilities – and at $1,215 monthly, it's 5% below the Mexico average. Getting good lifestyle perks at below-average prices is an uncommon combination.

$1,500 works comfortably in Playa del Carmen, where monthly costs come to just $1,215, below the Mexico average. In pricier cities across the country, the same budget would feel noticeably tighter.