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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,261 in Ningi versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,186 in Ningi versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,111 in Ningi versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ningi is roughly 80% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ningi is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.88

$11.99 MX$210

33.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 A$71.9

$41.78 MX$733

20.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 A$10.15

$10.75 MX$189

-34.14%

Cappuccino

$2.67 A$3.83

$3.50 MX$61.3

-23.71%

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

$2.08 A$2.98

$1.45 MX$25.41

43.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 A$2.74

$0.88 MX$15.52

117.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.09

$2.95 MX$51.7

114.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 A$11.36

$4.51 MX$79.1

75.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.12

$1.43 MX$25.12

3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 A$3.29

$1.84 MX$32.23

24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.57 MX$27.51

49.04%

Eggs

$3.27 A$4.69

$2.51 MX$44.06

30.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 A$10.47

$8.28 MX$145

-11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 A$11.09

$8.43 MX$148

-8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 A$17.68

$10.68 MX$187

15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.63

$2.61 MX$45.76

-3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.44 MX$25.22

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.68

$1.96 MX$34.41

31.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 A$5.38

$2.09 MX$36.74

79.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.47

$1.85 MX$32.47

30.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.40

$2.17 MX$38.02

9.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.75

$1.03 MX$18.09

86.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.07 MX$18.84

53.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.80 A$36.96

$4.10 MX$72.0

529.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 A$20.12

$10.17 MX$178

38.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.15 A$8.81

$1.68 MX$29.38

266.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 A$9.39

$2.53 MX$44.31

159.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.65

$0.51 MX$8.93

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 A$94.2

$26.04 MX$457

152.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 A$2.84

$3.23 MX$56.7

-38.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 A$1.65

$2.41 MX$42.19

-52.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.25 A$47.64

$3.23 MX$56.6

929.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.70

$1.32 MX$23.17

-10.61%

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

$22.8K A$32.7K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-23.21%

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

$19.8K A$28.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-16.49%

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

$216 A$309

$82.0 MX$1,439

163.09%

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

$32.01 A$45.86

$22.95 MX$403

39.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.12 A$70.4

$30.11 MX$528

63.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.44 A$70.8

$52.0 MX$912

-4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 A$22.45

$18.53 MX$325

-15.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 A$18.47

$4.98 MX$87.3

158.84%

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

$2,175 A$3,116

$197 MX$3,463

1001.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,221 A$10.3K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

35.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 A$72.8

$35.60 MX$624

42.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 A$68.1

$40.33 MX$707

17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 A$129

$78.8 MX$1,381

14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$180

$88.9 MX$1,560

41.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 A$1,808

$947 MX$16.6K

33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 A$1,509

$474 MX$8,314

122.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 A$2,900

$1,644 MX$28.8K

23.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 A$2,426

$1,211 MX$21.2K

39.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,492 A$9,301

$4,056 MX$71.1K

60.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 A$7,443

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-19.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.42

-42.73%

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

Last update for Ningi: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,262 in Ningi and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Ningi vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $249 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

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

Ningi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,261 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,392 in Ningi and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,262 in Ningi versus $947 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 $42.00 versus $50.0 in Ningi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,261 per month in Ningi versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,261 in Ningi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ningi. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Ningi and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Ningi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.