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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,388 in Paszto versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,141 in Paszto versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,893 in Paszto versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Paszto is roughly 10% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Paszto is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.69 Ft 4,038

$11.60 MX$200

9.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 Ft 18.4K

$47.11 MX$812

23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 Ft 2,946

$11.88 MX$205

-22.05%

Cappuccino

$2.46 Ft 782

$3.98 MX$68.6

-38.19%

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

$1.34 Ft 426

$1.43 MX$24.60

-6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 423

$0.82 MX$14.22

62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 Ft 582

$3.19 MX$55.0

-42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 Ft 784

$6.79 MX$117

-63.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 Ft 405

$1.68 MX$28.89

-24.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 Ft 522

$2.20 MX$37.88

-25.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 Ft 779

$1.71 MX$29.45

43.27%

Eggs

$3.34 Ft 1,061

$2.74 MX$47.26

21.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 Ft 3,321

$9.58 MX$165

8.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 Ft 2,235

$9.01 MX$155

-21.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 Ft 5,267

$12.81 MX$221

29.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 Ft 808

$2.89 MX$49.81

-12.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 760

$1.50 MX$25.81

59.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 Ft 875

$2.15 MX$37.03

27.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 Ft 1,283

$2.26 MX$38.96

78.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 376

$1.98 MX$34.15

-40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 Ft 463

$1.99 MX$34.30

-26.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 Ft 611

$1.23 MX$21.28

56.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 Ft 191

$1.20 MX$20.63

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.57 Ft 2,725

$4.55 MX$78.5

88.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 Ft 1,480

$10.37 MX$179

-55.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 Ft 434

$1.62 MX$27.91

-16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 Ft 848

$2.88 MX$49.67

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Ft 409

$0.60 MX$10.35

115.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.54 Ft 10.0K

$28.80 MX$497

9.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 Ft 1,124

$5.39 MX$92.9

-34.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 Ft 498

$3.73 MX$64.3

-58.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.78 Ft 8,201

$5.77 MX$99.5

346.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 Ft 608

$1.54 MX$26.48

24.03%

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

$31.8K Ft 10.1M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

41.14%

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

$38.1K Ft 12.1M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

46.09%

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

$178 Ft 56.6K

$91.4 MX$1,576

94.56%

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

$21.15 Ft 6,727

$25.20 MX$435

-16.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.49 Ft 6,836

$31.24 MX$539

-31.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 Ft 14.8K

$67.2 MX$1,159

-30.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 Ft 5,849

$29.11 MX$502

-36.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 Ft 2,950

$4.86 MX$83.8

90.74%

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

$443 Ft 140.9K

$224 MX$3,856

98.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,811 Ft 2.5M

$4,229 MX$72.9K

84.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 Ft 32.8K

$47.10 MX$812

118.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 Ft 16.9K

$44.29 MX$764

19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 Ft 31.9K

$80.1 MX$1,381

25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 Ft 36.6K

$92.7 MX$1,598

24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 Ft 181.7K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 Ft 145.8K

$390 MX$6,728

17.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 Ft 275.0K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 Ft 233.2K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-42.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,580 Ft 1.1M

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-10.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,987 Ft 950.1K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-54.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 Ft 238.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

-1.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

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

Last update for Paszto: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Paszto and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Paszto vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $276, with Paszto 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Paszto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $571 in Paszto versus $1,063 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 $47.00 versus $58.0 in Paszto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,388 per month in Paszto versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,388 in Paszto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Paszto. 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 $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Paszto 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 10% less than in Paszto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.