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: $1,201 in Permet versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,851 in Permet versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,502 in Permet versus $2,980 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 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ALL 977

$11.87 MX$204

0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 ALL 4,877

$42.90 MX$736

39.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ALL 783

$10.65 MX$183

-10.05%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ALL 160

$3.45 MX$59.2

-43.48%

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

$1.84 ALL 150

$1.50 MX$25.81

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ALL 80.5

$0.95 MX$16.28

4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ALL 246

$3.03 MX$51.9

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ALL 338

$4.61 MX$79.1

-10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ALL 174

$1.38 MX$23.61

54.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ALL 88.6

$1.85 MX$31.70

-41.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ALL 179

$1.61 MX$27.65

36.02%

Eggs

$3.85 ALL 314

$2.59 MX$44.51

48.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 ALL 1,051

$8.26 MX$142

55.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 ALL 643

$8.37 MX$144

-5.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 ALL 1,303

$10.66 MX$183

49.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ALL 141

$2.63 MX$45.12

-34.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 ALL 224

$1.49 MX$25.53

83.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 161

$1.92 MX$32.94

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ALL 156

$2.09 MX$35.81

-8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.86 MX$31.88

-29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 104

$2.26 MX$38.81

-43.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ALL 120

$1.06 MX$18.23

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 64.9

$1.09 MX$18.67

-27.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ALL 349

$4.15 MX$71.2

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 ALL 889

$10.39 MX$178

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ALL 130

$1.72 MX$29.59

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ALL 169

$2.61 MX$44.85

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.56

$0.54 MX$9.30

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.55 ALL 1,516

$26.94 MX$462

-31.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 ALL 293

$3.13 MX$53.7

14.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 ALL 258

$2.51 MX$43.09

25.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.98 ALL 1,469

$3.15 MX$54.1

470.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 ALL 170

$1.27 MX$21.88

63.78%

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

$39.9K ALL 3.3M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

31.31%

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

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

48.75%

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

$106 ALL 8,651

$83.0 MX$1,425

27.58%

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

$17.72 ALL 1,447

$22.71 MX$390

-21.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.36 ALL 1,500

$29.46 MX$506

-37.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 ALL 4,472

$51.0 MX$875

7.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.44 ALL 2,078

$18.33 MX$315

38.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.34 ALL 763

$4.93 MX$84.5

89.45%

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

$161 ALL 13.1K

$197 MX$3,386

-18.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,569 ALL 455.0K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 ALL 5,601

$36.90 MX$633

85.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 ALL 4,189

$39.89 MX$685

28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ALL 8,764

$80.0 MX$1,373

34.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ALL 10.7K

$89.5 MX$1,536

46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ALL 36.4K

$956 MX$16.4K

-53.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ALL 28.0K

$477 MX$8,189

-28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ALL 50.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 ALL 34.8K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-65.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 ALL 165.7K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-48.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ALL 91.8K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-82.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Permet and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Permet vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $250 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 ($1,201 vs $1,271 including rent). Permet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,801 in Permet and $1,906 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: $446 in Permet versus $956 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 $60.0 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 $1,201 per month in Permet versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,201 in Permet versus $1,271 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.