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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $983 per month in Onesti vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,459 per month in Onesti vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,935 per month in Onesti vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Onesti is about 24% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Onesti and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Onesti 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 RON 30.82

$11.94 MX$208

-40.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.66 RON 159

$42.75 MX$744

-14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 RON 28.28

$10.59 MX$184

-38.62%

Cappuccino

$1.92 RON 8.37

$3.62 MX$63.0

-46.96%

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

$1.99 RON 8.67

$1.47 MX$25.54

35.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 6.95

$0.94 MX$16.41

70.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 RON 9.19

$3.09 MX$53.8

-31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 RON 13.10

$4.46 MX$77.6

-32.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 RON 4.90

$1.43 MX$24.80

-20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RON 5.14

$1.88 MX$32.79

-37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 RON 8.65

$1.63 MX$28.34

22.09%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 12.69

$2.64 MX$45.99

10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 RON 34.23

$8.21 MX$143

-4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 29.68

$8.29 MX$144

-17.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 RON 48.54

$11.10 MX$193

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 RON 4.22

$2.65 MX$46.14

-63.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 6.81

$1.50 MX$26.11

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.26

$1.99 MX$34.59

-27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 RON 8.15

$2.08 MX$36.13

-10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.64

$1.79 MX$31.11

-53.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 RON 4.62

$2.18 MX$37.87

-51.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.56

$1.08 MX$18.73

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RON 2.82

$1.04 MX$18.04

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 RON 24.76

$3.97 MX$69.1

43.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 RON 25.13

$10.20 MX$178

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.13

$1.73 MX$30.04

-45.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.39

$2.50 MX$43.46

-41.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.06

$0.52 MX$9.02

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.91 RON 86.6

$26.97 MX$469

-26.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 RON 5.09

$3.14 MX$54.7

-62.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.60

$2.40 MX$41.80

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 RON 29.45

$3.09 MX$53.7

119.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.03

$1.27 MX$22.16

27.56%

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

$28.4K RON 123.4K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-8.11%

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

$25.4K RON 110.3K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

8.76%

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

$161 RON 702

$82.0 MX$1,427

96.66%

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

$8.00 RON 34.82

$22.45 MX$391

-64.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 RON 41.97

$29.66 MX$516

-67.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 RON 182

$51.9 MX$903

-19.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.21 RON 83.5

$18.67 MX$325

2.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 RON 29.49

$4.97 MX$86.5

36.42%

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

$305 RON 1,329

$198 MX$3,442

54.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,768 RON 42.5K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

85.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.53 RON 163

$36.34 MX$632

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.43 RON 132

$40.05 MX$697

-24.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 RON 317

$79.9 MX$1,390

-8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 RON 322

$88.9 MX$1,547

-16.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 RON 1,684

$963 MX$16.8K

-59.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,270

$465 MX$8,086

-37.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 RON 2,596

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 RON 1,874

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-64.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,781 RON 7,746

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-54.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,374 RON 5,975

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-78.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$687 RON 2,986

$720 MX$12.5K

-4.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

11.42

-37.74%

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

Last update for Onesti: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $387 in Onesti versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Onesti versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $251 – making Onesti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Onesti, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,475 per month in Onesti and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Onesti, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Onesti and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $983 in Onesti and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Onesti, where all-in costs run around $983, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Onesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Onesti costs $983 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Onesti. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.