Cost of Living Comparison Between Pétion-Ville and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Pétion-Ville and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,158 per month in Pétion-Ville vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,551 per month in Pétion-Ville vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,943 per month in Pétion-Ville vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pétion-Ville costs about 67% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Pétion-Ville sits 57% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 HTG 1,859

$11.71 MX$198

21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 HTG 12.0K

$46.59 MX$787

97.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 HTG 1,512

$11.65 MX$197

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$3.77 HTG 492

$4.09 MX$69.2

-7.82%

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

$3.14 HTG 409

$1.37 MX$23.23

129.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 HTG 194

$0.83 MX$14.09

78.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.70 HTG 1,004

$3.35 MX$56.7

129.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 HTG 1,200

$6.91 MX$117

33.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 HTG 279

$1.73 MX$29.19

23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 HTG 336

$2.26 MX$38.20

14.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 HTG 387

$1.77 MX$29.90

67.80%

Eggs

$3.57 HTG 465

$2.73 MX$46.18

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.74 HTG 879

$9.18 MX$155

-26.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 HTG 787

$8.92 MX$151

-32.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.24 HTG 1,205

$12.60 MX$213

-26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 HTG 484

$3.02 MX$51.1

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 HTG 123

$1.57 MX$26.54

-40.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 HTG 97.2

$2.13 MX$35.92

-64.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 HTG 304

$2.26 MX$38.27

3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$7.47 HTG 974

$2.00 MX$33.87

273.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 HTG 295

$2.06 MX$34.89

9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 HTG 147

$1.18 MX$19.94

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 HTG 126

$1.20 MX$20.35

-19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 HTG 593

$4.63 MX$78.3

-1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 HTG 1,469

$10.69 MX$181

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 HTG 193

$1.62 MX$27.37

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 HTG 295

$2.88 MX$48.69

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 HTG 51.5

$0.57 MX$9.69

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.36 HTG 5,002

$29.83 MX$504

28.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 HTG 48.22

$5.45 MX$92.1

-93.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 HTG 47.08

$3.70 MX$62.6

-90.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.80 HTG 1,799

$5.98 MX$101

130.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 HTG 190

$1.55 MX$26.25

-5.81%

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

$34.7K HTG 4.5M

$22.3K MX$377.3K

55.45%

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

$24.5K HTG 3.2M

$25.9K MX$438.5K

-5.73%

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

$169 HTG 22.0K

$89.1 MX$1,506

89.70%

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

$46.11 HTG 6,012

$25.04 MX$423

84.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$230 HTG 30.0K

$31.50 MX$532

630.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 HTG 1,983

$28.92 MX$489

-47.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

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

$225 MX$3,802

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 HTG 12.1K

$47.44 MX$802

94.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 HTG 9,905

$44.98 MX$760

68.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 HTG 20.3K

$82.0 MX$1,386

89.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 HTG 24.9K

$92.1 MX$1,556

107.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 HTG 152.2K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 HTG 118.7K

$405 MX$6,850

124.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,255 HTG 424.4K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

68.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 HTG 296.1K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

74.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,508 HTG 327.0K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-37.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,840 HTG 239.9K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-72.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 HTG 98.6K

$749 MX$12.7K

1.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

57.21%

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

Last update for Pétion-Ville: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,167 in Pétion-Ville versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Pétion-Ville, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Pétion-Ville versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Pétion-Ville vs $277 in Playa del Carmen – so Pétion-Ville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,158 in Pétion-Ville, $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 67% apart. Pétion-Ville costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,237 per month in Pétion-Ville and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Pétion-Ville – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Pétion-Ville at $2,158. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pétion-Ville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,293 in Playa del Carmen to $2,158 in Pétion-Ville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pétion-Ville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.