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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Permet versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,859 in Permet versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,503 in Permet versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Permet costs roughly 6% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Permet 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 ALL 946

$11.94 MX$208

-3.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 ALL 4,794

$42.75 MX$744

37.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 ALL 775

$10.59 MX$184

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$1.97 ALL 161

$3.62 MX$63.0

-45.58%

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

$1.87 ALL 153

$1.47 MX$25.54

27.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ALL 75.6

$0.94 MX$16.41

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ALL 243

$3.09 MX$53.8

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 ALL 343

$4.46 MX$77.6

-5.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ALL 174

$1.43 MX$24.80

48.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ALL 91.8

$1.88 MX$32.79

-40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ALL 183

$1.63 MX$28.34

37.42%

Eggs

$3.79 ALL 310

$2.64 MX$45.99

43.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ALL 1,083

$8.21 MX$143

61.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 ALL 617

$8.29 MX$144

-8.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 ALL 1,280

$11.10 MX$193

41.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ALL 145

$2.65 MX$46.14

-32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 ALL 216

$1.50 MX$26.11

76.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 162

$1.99 MX$34.59

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ALL 156

$2.08 MX$36.13

-8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ALL 112

$1.79 MX$31.11

-22.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$2.18 MX$37.87

-39.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 123

$1.08 MX$18.73

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.6

$1.04 MX$18.04

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ALL 345

$3.97 MX$69.1

6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 ALL 862

$10.20 MX$178

3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ALL 130

$1.73 MX$30.04

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ALL 176

$2.50 MX$43.46

-13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 37.12

$0.52 MX$9.02

-13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.97 ALL 1,550

$26.97 MX$469

-29.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ALL 284

$3.14 MX$54.7

10.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 253

$2.40 MX$41.80

29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.96 ALL 1,468

$3.09 MX$53.7

481.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 ALL 170

$1.27 MX$22.16

63.78%

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

$40.2K ALL 3.3M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

30.26%

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

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

50.20%

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

$109 ALL 8,915

$82.0 MX$1,427

33.02%

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

$17.64 ALL 1,442

$22.45 MX$391

-21.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.78 ALL 1,535

$29.66 MX$516

-36.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ALL 4,419

$51.9 MX$903

4.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 ALL 2,035

$18.67 MX$325

33.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 ALL 789

$4.97 MX$86.5

94.37%

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

$156 ALL 12.8K

$198 MX$3,442

-20.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,516 ALL 450.7K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

4.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 ALL 5,589

$36.34 MX$632

88.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 ALL 4,097

$40.05 MX$697

25.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ALL 8,623

$79.9 MX$1,390

32.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ALL 10.3K

$88.9 MX$1,547

42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ALL 37.1K

$963 MX$16.8K

-52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ALL 27.6K

$465 MX$8,086

-27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ALL 49.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-61.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 ALL 35.2K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-64.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 ALL 141.1K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-56.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,396 ALL 114.1K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-78.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

11.42

-51.66%

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

Last update for Permet: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $454 in Permet and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Permet vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Permet and Playa del Carmen differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $1,287 including rent). Permet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,823 in Permet and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $454 in Permet versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Permet – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Permet versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Permet versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Permet but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Permet 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.

Expats usually find Permet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.