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: $1,197 in Permet versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,850 in Permet versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,503 in Permet versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Permet costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Permet 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 ALL 969

$11.72 MX$203

1.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 ALL 4,751

$41.89 MX$725

39.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 ALL 756

$10.51 MX$182

-11.51%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ALL 166

$3.59 MX$62.0

-43.18%

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

$1.87 ALL 152

$1.51 MX$26.10

23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ALL 74.2

$0.92 MX$15.83

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ALL 241

$2.96 MX$51.2

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 ALL 341

$4.41 MX$76.3

-4.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ALL 168

$1.40 MX$24.16

47.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ALL 88.2

$1.88 MX$32.60

-42.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ALL 181

$1.56 MX$26.97

42.95%

Eggs

$3.83 ALL 311

$2.61 MX$45.14

46.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ALL 1,087

$8.32 MX$144

60.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 ALL 627

$8.35 MX$145

-7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 ALL 1,255

$10.86 MX$188

42.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ALL 145

$2.71 MX$46.93

-33.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 ALL 220

$1.51 MX$26.04

79.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 160

$1.87 MX$32.41

5.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 161

$2.19 MX$37.89

-9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 ALL 107

$1.86 MX$32.14

-29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ALL 104

$2.23 MX$38.59

-42.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ALL 118

$1.07 MX$18.48

35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ALL 60.2

$1.09 MX$18.79

-32.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ALL 350

$4.19 MX$72.4

2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 ALL 876

$10.43 MX$180

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ALL 134

$1.66 MX$28.68

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 169

$2.61 MX$45.19

-19.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ALL 36.97

$0.54 MX$9.37

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.48 ALL 1,502

$26.16 MX$453

-29.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ALL 283

$3.08 MX$53.3

12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 252

$2.40 MX$41.61

29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.31 ALL 1,406

$3.13 MX$54.1

453.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 174

$1.31 MX$22.69

63.36%

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

$40.4K ALL 3.3M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

35.64%

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

$35.9K ALL 2.9M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

53.87%

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

$109 ALL 8,822

$81.3 MX$1,406

33.59%

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

$18.22 ALL 1,480

$22.56 MX$390

-19.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.75 ALL 1,523

$30.05 MX$520

-37.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ALL 4,489

$52.9 MX$915

4.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 ALL 2,064

$18.39 MX$318

38.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 ALL 762

$4.92 MX$85.1

90.65%

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

$157 ALL 12.7K

$201 MX$3,474

-21.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,688 ALL 462.2K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

9.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 ALL 5,433

$35.92 MX$622

86.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ALL 4,084

$40.13 MX$694

25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ALL 8,630

$79.7 MX$1,379

33.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ALL 10.3K

$86.5 MX$1,496

46.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 ALL 36.7K

$978 MX$16.9K

-53.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ALL 27.6K

$470 MX$8,140

-27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ALL 49.4K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-63.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 ALL 35.6K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-63.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,040 ALL 165.7K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-48.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 ALL 99.6K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-81.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Permet and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Permet vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $252 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $1,260 including rent). Permet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,795 in Permet and $1,890 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: $452 in Permet versus $978 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 $58.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,197 per month in Permet versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,197 in Permet versus $1,260 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.