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 $962 per month in Onesti vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,460 per month in Onesti vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,959 per month in Onesti vs $2,980 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 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 RON 30.90

$11.87 MX$204

-42.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.03 RON 167

$42.90 MX$736

-13.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 RON 29.48

$10.65 MX$183

-38.78%

Cappuccino

$1.87 RON 8.44

$3.45 MX$59.2

-45.80%

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

$2.07 RON 9.36

$1.50 MX$25.81

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 RON 7.49

$0.95 MX$16.28

74.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 RON 9.29

$3.03 MX$51.9

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 RON 13.78

$4.61 MX$79.1

-33.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 RON 5.27

$1.38 MX$23.61

-15.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RON 5.12

$1.85 MX$31.70

-38.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 RON 8.92

$1.61 MX$27.65

22.36%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.04

$2.59 MX$44.51

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 RON 37.16

$8.26 MX$142

-0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RON 31.71

$8.37 MX$144

-16.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 RON 50.5

$10.66 MX$183

4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.04

$2.63 MX$45.12

-66.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 6.83

$1.49 MX$25.53

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.86

$1.92 MX$32.94

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 RON 8.83

$2.09 MX$35.81

-6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.69

$1.86 MX$31.88

-55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.76

$2.26 MX$38.81

-53.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.72

$1.06 MX$18.23

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 RON 2.91

$1.09 MX$18.67

-41.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 RON 24.89

$4.15 MX$71.2

32.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 RON 25.37

$10.39 MX$178

-46.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.28

$1.72 MX$29.59

-44.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 RON 6.62

$2.61 MX$44.85

-44.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$0.54 MX$9.30

24.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.77 RON 89.4

$26.94 MX$462

-26.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 RON 5.29

$3.13 MX$53.7

-62.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 RON 2.97

$2.51 MX$43.09

-73.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 RON 32.09

$3.15 MX$54.1

125.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.24

$1.27 MX$21.88

25.98%

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

$27.7K RON 125.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-8.90%

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

$25.3K RON 114.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

7.43%

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

$163 RON 736

$83.0 MX$1,425

95.96%

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

$7.88 RON 35.66

$22.71 MX$390

-65.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.38 RON 42.43

$29.46 MX$506

-68.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 RON 190

$51.0 MX$875

-17.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 RON 86.7

$18.33 MX$315

4.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.81 RON 30.81

$4.93 MX$84.5

38.13%

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

$311 RON 1,407

$197 MX$3,386

57.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,660 RON 43.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

82.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.17 RON 168

$36.90 MX$633

0.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 RON 136

$39.89 MX$685

-24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 RON 340

$80.0 MX$1,373

-6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 RON 335

$89.5 MX$1,536

-17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,776

$956 MX$16.4K

-58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 RON 1,329

$477 MX$8,189

-38.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 RON 2,620

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-64.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 RON 2,002

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-63.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,920 RON 8,685

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-51.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,370 RON 6,197

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-78.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 RON 2,945

$667 MX$11.4K

-2.38%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $393 in Onesti versus $956 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 2% 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: $200 vs $250 – 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 32% 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 $1,443 per month in Onesti and $1,906 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 $962 in Onesti and $1,271 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 $962, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $962 versus $1,271 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.