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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,123 in Paks versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,677 in Paks versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,230 in Paks versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Paks costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Paks 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.86 Ft 2,793

$11.72 MX$203

-24.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.63 Ft 9,021

$41.89 MX$725

-31.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 Ft 2,210

$10.51 MX$182

-33.30%

Cappuccino

$0.83 Ft 261

$3.59 MX$62.0

-76.88%

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

$1.07 Ft 337

$1.51 MX$26.10

-29.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 212

$0.92 MX$15.83

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 Ft 366

$2.96 MX$51.2

-60.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 418

$4.41 MX$76.3

-69.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 356

$1.40 MX$24.16

-19.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 Ft 469

$1.88 MX$32.60

-20.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 587

$1.56 MX$26.97

19.23%

Eggs

$2.93 Ft 923

$2.61 MX$45.14

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 Ft 3,011

$8.32 MX$144

14.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 Ft 1,772

$8.35 MX$145

-32.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 Ft 3,499

$10.86 MX$188

2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Ft 618

$2.71 MX$46.93

-27.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 644

$1.51 MX$26.04

35.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 638

$1.87 MX$32.41

8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 Ft 1,309

$2.19 MX$37.89

89.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 Ft 440

$1.86 MX$32.14

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 Ft 408

$2.23 MX$38.59

-41.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 Ft 463

$1.07 MX$18.48

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Ft 156

$1.09 MX$18.79

-54.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 Ft 2,264

$4.19 MX$72.4

71.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 Ft 2,021

$10.43 MX$180

-38.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 Ft 349

$1.66 MX$28.68

-33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 Ft 381

$2.61 MX$45.19

-53.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 Ft 355

$0.54 MX$9.37

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.54 Ft 7,733

$26.16 MX$453

-6.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 Ft 928

$3.08 MX$53.3

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 Ft 402

$2.40 MX$41.61

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.17 Ft 5,409

$3.13 MX$54.1

448.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 Ft 548

$1.31 MX$22.69

32.82%

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

$32.2K Ft 10.2M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

8.17%

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

$36.8K Ft 11.6M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

57.59%

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

$147 Ft 46.4K

$81.3 MX$1,406

81.02%

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

$30.03 Ft 9,461

$22.56 MX$390

33.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.49 Ft 7,716

$30.05 MX$520

-18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.22 Ft 14.9K

$52.9 MX$915

-10.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.59 Ft 5,228

$18.39 MX$318

-9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.07 Ft 2,544

$4.92 MX$85.1

64.02%

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

$469 Ft 147.8K

$201 MX$3,474

133.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,763 Ft 2.1M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

30.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 Ft 28.1K

$35.92 MX$622

148.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 Ft 8,032

$40.13 MX$694

-36.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

$79.7 MX$1,379

20.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 Ft 32.7K

$86.5 MX$1,496

20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 Ft 141.4K

$978 MX$16.9K

-54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 Ft 107.2K

$470 MX$8,140

-27.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 Ft 197.0K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 Ft 171.0K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-54.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,079 Ft 970.1K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-22.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,324 Ft 732.4K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-64.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,308 Ft 412.2K

$677 MX$11.7K

93.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-29.95%

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

Last update for Paks: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Paks and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Paks vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $252 per month, with Paks 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

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

Paks and Playa del Carmen differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,123 vs $1,260 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 93% higher in Paks, 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: $449 in Paks versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Paks – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Paks versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Paks 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, Paks 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 Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.