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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,021 in Oeiras versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,971 in Oeiras versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,921 in Oeiras versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oeiras is roughly 57% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oeiras is 51% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €14.94

$11.94 MX$209

46.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 €49.65

$42.75 MX$748

35.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 €7.90

$10.59 MX$185

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$2.23 €1.91

$3.62 MX$63.4

-38.40%

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

$1.79 €1.53

$1.47 MX$25.69

21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.94 MX$16.51

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 €2.00

$3.09 MX$54.1

-24.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 €3.41

$4.46 MX$78.0

-10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.43 MX$24.94

-21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.88 MX$32.97

-37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.63 MX$28.50

1.23%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.04

$2.64 MX$46.26

34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 €9.29

$8.21 MX$144

32.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 €6.40

$8.29 MX$145

-9.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 €15.12

$11.10 MX$194

59.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.62

$2.65 MX$46.40

-28.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.50 MX$26.26

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.99 MX$34.79

-21.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.43

$2.08 MX$36.33

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.79 MX$31.29

4.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.90

$2.18 MX$38.09

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.72

$1.08 MX$18.84

-21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.04 MX$18.15

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 €5.23

$3.97 MX$69.5

53.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.57 €3.91

$10.20 MX$179

-55.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.73 MX$30.22

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.50 MX$43.71

9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.52 MX$9.07

288.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.46 €38.92

$26.97 MX$472

68.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 €3.31

$3.14 MX$55.0

23.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.74

$2.40 MX$42.04

-64.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.13 €14.66

$3.09 MX$54.0

454.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.27 MX$22.28

51.18%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

13.88%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

65.82%

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

$141 €121

$82.0 MX$1,435

72.06%

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

$22.18 €18.99

$22.45 MX$393

-1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.49 €36.37

$29.66 MX$519

43.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 €47.91

$51.9 MX$908

7.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.50 €23.54

$18.67 MX$327

47.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 €7.40

$4.97 MX$87.0

73.84%

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

$491 €421

$198 MX$3,462

148.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,437 €6,366

$5,273 MX$92.3K

41.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 €54.4

$36.34 MX$636

74.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.11 €35.19

$40.05 MX$701

2.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €79.2

$79.9 MX$1,398

15.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 €70.6

$88.9 MX$1,555

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €927

$963 MX$16.9K

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €875

$465 MX$8,133

119.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 €1,492

$1,596 MX$27.9K

9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 €1,478

$1,209 MX$21.2K

42.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,858 €5,014

$3,942 MX$69.0K

48.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,572 €3,058

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-44.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,362 €1,166

$720 MX$12.6K

89.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.42

-56.13%

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

Last update for Oeiras: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Oeiras and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oeiras pays 89% 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: $58.0 in Oeiras vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $251, with Oeiras cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Oeiras. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Oeiras pays 89% more on average, 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: $1,083 in Oeiras versus $963 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 $43.00 versus $58.0 in Oeiras. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,021 per month in Oeiras versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,021 in Oeiras, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oeiras. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oeiras 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 57% less than in Oeiras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.