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: $1,148 in Paks versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Paks versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Paks versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Paks costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Paks 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 Ft 2,571

$11.87 MX$204

-28.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 Ft 8,808

$42.90 MX$736

-32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 Ft 2,023

$10.65 MX$183

-37.18%

Cappuccino

$0.82 Ft 248

$3.45 MX$59.2

-76.23%

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

$1.06 Ft 321

$1.50 MX$25.81

-29.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 Ft 219

$0.95 MX$16.28

-24.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 Ft 338

$3.03 MX$51.9

-63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 Ft 397

$4.61 MX$79.1

-71.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 Ft 329

$1.38 MX$23.61

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 466

$1.85 MX$31.70

-16.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 557

$1.61 MX$27.65

14.29%

Eggs

$2.95 Ft 893

$2.59 MX$44.51

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 Ft 2,902

$8.26 MX$142

16.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 Ft 1,688

$8.37 MX$144

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 Ft 3,324

$10.66 MX$183

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 614

$2.63 MX$45.12

-22.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 Ft 591

$1.49 MX$25.53

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 629

$1.92 MX$32.94

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 Ft 1,273

$2.09 MX$35.81

101.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 Ft 419

$1.86 MX$31.88

-25.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 Ft 391

$2.26 MX$38.81

-42.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 Ft 446

$1.06 MX$18.23

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Ft 149

$1.09 MX$18.67

-55.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.24 Ft 2,191

$4.15 MX$71.2

74.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 Ft 2,001

$10.39 MX$178

-36.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 344

$1.72 MX$29.59

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 363

$2.61 MX$44.85

-54.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 Ft 354

$0.54 MX$9.30

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.58 Ft 7,437

$26.94 MX$462

-8.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 Ft 856

$3.13 MX$53.7

-9.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 Ft 388

$2.51 MX$43.09

-49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 Ft 5,250

$3.15 MX$54.1

450.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 Ft 533

$1.27 MX$21.88

38.58%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.5M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

3.04%

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

$36.2K Ft 11.0M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

53.68%

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

$145 Ft 43.8K

$83.0 MX$1,425

74.28%

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

$30.24 Ft 9,149

$22.71 MX$390

33.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 Ft 7,573

$29.46 MX$506

-15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.21 Ft 14.0K

$51.0 MX$875

-9.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 Ft 5,047

$18.33 MX$315

-9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 Ft 2,372

$4.93 MX$84.5

59.03%

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

$460 Ft 139.3K

$197 MX$3,386

133.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,756 Ft 2.0M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

27.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 Ft 26.5K

$36.90 MX$633

137.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 Ft 7,909

$39.89 MX$685

-34.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 Ft 28.7K

$80.0 MX$1,373

18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 31.7K

$89.5 MX$1,536

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 Ft 137.3K

$956 MX$16.4K

-52.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 Ft 103.6K

$477 MX$8,189

-28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 Ft 189.9K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-61.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 Ft 162.6K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-56.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,305 Ft 999.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-15.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 Ft 753.9K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,361 Ft 411.7K

$667 MX$11.4K

104.01%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $454 in Paks and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 104% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $250 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,271 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Paks pays 104% 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: $454 in Paks versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Paks versus $1,271 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.