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: $2,683 in Ningi versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,713 in Ningi versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,743 in Ningi versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ningi is roughly 106% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ningi is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.53 A$30.10

$11.96 MX$203

80.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 A$94.3

$47.38 MX$805

42.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 A$9.22

$11.75 MX$200

-43.83%

Cappuccino

$2.48 A$3.47

$4.12 MX$70.1

-39.81%

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

$2.18 A$3.05

$1.40 MX$23.78

55.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 A$3.49

$0.91 MX$15.50

173.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 A$10.99

$3.21 MX$54.5

144.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 A$10.73

$7.07 MX$120

8.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.33

$1.68 MX$28.49

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.93

$2.15 MX$36.53

30.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.36

$1.77 MX$30.14

35.59%

Eggs

$5.05 A$7.06

$2.82 MX$47.83

79.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 A$12.82

$9.20 MX$156

-0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 A$13.24

$9.23 MX$157

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 A$21.15

$12.64 MX$215

19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.69

$2.95 MX$50.1

37.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.56

$1.58 MX$26.83

106.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.83

$2.22 MX$37.76

55.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.25

$2.36 MX$40.15

89.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.59

$1.99 MX$33.86

29.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.46

$1.98 MX$33.63

24.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 A$3.67

$1.24 MX$21.07

111.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.21 MX$20.58

33.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.34 A$63.4

$4.60 MX$78.2

885.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 A$20.62

$10.52 MX$179

40.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.88 A$8.22

$1.69 MX$28.74

247.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 A$9.59

$2.77 MX$47.13

147.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.47

$0.60 MX$10.24

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 A$120

$29.70 MX$505

188.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 A$3.08

$5.24 MX$89.0

-58.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.27

$3.65 MX$62.0

-55.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.03 A$51.8

$5.78 MX$98.3

540.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.54 MX$26.13

-18.83%

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

$28.1K A$39.3K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

23.45%

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

$33.8K A$47.2K

$25.8K MX$438.5K

30.89%

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

$222 A$311

$90.7 MX$1,540

145.21%

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

$31.30 A$43.75

$25.19 MX$428

24.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 A$78.3

$31.75 MX$539

76.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 A$81.6

$68.8 MX$1,169

-15.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 A$25.64

$29.37 MX$499

-37.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 A$20.31

$4.86 MX$82.6

198.97%

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

$2,189 A$3,060

$226 MX$3,834

869.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.4K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

196.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$110

$47.38 MX$805

65.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 A$78.2

$43.45 MX$738

28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$147

$80.2 MX$1,363

30.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$176

$91.4 MX$1,552

38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 A$2,036

$1,086 MX$18.4K

34.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 A$1,812

$409 MX$6,943

217.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 A$3,179

$1,972 MX$33.5K

15.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 A$2,610

$1,281 MX$21.8K

45.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,519 A$9,112

$4,046 MX$68.7K

61.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,172 A$7,229

$6,704 MX$113.9K

-22.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.73

11.45

-49.96%

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

Last update for Ningi: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,457 in Ningi and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ningi vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $278 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,683 vs $1,305 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 $4,025 in Ningi and $1,958 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: $1,457 in Ningi versus $1,086 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 $67.0 in Ningi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,683 per month in Ningi versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,683 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 106% less than in Ningi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.