Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pescara and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,911 in Pescara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Pescara, Italy
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Pescara
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,911
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pescara and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pescara and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,911 in Pescara versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Pescara $1,911
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,848 in Pescara versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Pescara $2,848
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,784 in Pescara versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Pescara $3,784
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Pescara is roughly 59% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pescara is 40% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.71 €20.26
$10.92 MX$205
107.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 €58.7
$43.37 MX$813
51.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 €10.06
$11.78 MX$221
-4.24%
Cappuccino
$2.57 €2.29
$3.81 MX$71.4
-32.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 €2.77
$1.28 MX$24.03
142.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.33
$0.78 MX$14.67
91.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.71 €5.09
$3.17 MX$59.3
80.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 €4.03
$4.93 MX$92.5
-8.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.41 MX$26.35
25.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.22 MX$41.54
-22.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.81 €2.51
$1.42 MX$26.56
97.89%
Eggs
$5.46 €4.87
$2.52 MX$47.27
116.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.99 €19.62
$7.26 MX$136
202.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.92 €15.10
$7.70 MX$144
119.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.30 €23.46
$12.69 MX$238
107.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$2.78 MX$52.2
-1.44%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 €2.06
$1.37 MX$25.64
68.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 €2.56
$2.55 MX$47.80
12.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$2.12 MX$39.78
40.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.94 MX$36.32
1.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$1.89 MX$35.34
0.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.15 MX$21.49
155.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 €0.54
$1.18 MX$22.09
-48.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 €5.84
$4.30 MX$80.5
52.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.51 €7.59
$9.95 MX$186
-14.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.58 MX$29.67
20.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.26
$2.67 MX$50.1
-5.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 €1.76
$0.55 MX$10.37
260.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.21 €41.22
$26.62 MX$499
73.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.74 €6.01
$4.97 MX$93.1
35.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 €1.48
$3.33 MX$62.4
-50.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.96 €19.59
$5.36 MX$100
309.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.44 MX$27.06
45.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.7K
$20.7K MX$387.3K
66.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K €30.7K
$23.5K MX$439.7K
46.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$237 €212
$84.8 MX$1,589
179.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.99 €12.48
$23.41 MX$439
-40.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.45 €31.63
$28.66 MX$537
23.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 €48.04
$57.1 MX$1,069
-5.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.53 €23.67
$28.91 MX$542
-8.23%
Cinema Ticket
$8.78 €7.83
$5.14 MX$96.3
70.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €506
$207 MX$3,871
174.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.6K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.5
$43.35 MX$812
149.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.43 €33.39
$41.44 MX$777
-9.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 €110
$74.2 MX$1,390
66.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €114
$89.3 MX$1,672
42.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$781 €696
$980 MX$18.4K
-20.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$591 €528
$381 MX$7,136
55.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 €1,020
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-33.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$849 €757
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-21.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,198 €2,853
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-18.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,899 €1,695
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-69.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pescara
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,652 €1,474
$735 MX$13.8K
124.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.13
11.45
-72.66%

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

Last update for Pescara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pescara
$591
Playa del Carmen
$381 35.6% $211
Groceries & Markets
Pescara
$412
Playa del Carmen
$255 38.1% $157
Eating Out
Pescara
$302
Playa del Carmen
$202 33.1% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pescara
$287
Playa del Carmen
$137 52.3% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Pescara
$179
Playa del Carmen
$112 37.4% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Pescara
$71
Playa del Carmen
$67 5.7% $4.1
Getting Around
Pescara
$69
Playa del Carmen
$50 27.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $781 in Pescara and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pescara pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Pescara vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Pescara
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
21:36 9:36 PM
15:36 3:36 PM
6 h behind Pescara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
116,286
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pescara Playa del Carmen 9,350 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pescara
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Pescara vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pescara or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Pescara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Pescara or in Playa del Carmen?
Average pay in Pescara is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Pescara compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $781 in Pescara versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Pescara and in Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $568 in Pescara versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Pescara or in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Pescara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Pescara or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,911 in Pescara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pescara. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Pescara or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Should I move to Pescara or to Playa del Carmen?
It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Pescara on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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