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 $2,220 per month in Pétion-Ville vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,705 per month in Pétion-Ville vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,189 per month in Pétion-Ville vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pétion-Ville costs about 77% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Pétion-Ville sits 66% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.38 HTG 1,872

$11.99 MX$210

19.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 HTG 12.1K

$41.78 MX$733

122.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 HTG 1,484

$10.75 MX$189

6.05%

Cappuccino

$3.80 HTG 494

$3.50 MX$61.3

8.57%

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

$3.01 HTG 392

$1.45 MX$25.41

107.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 195

$0.88 MX$15.52

70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 HTG 1,014

$2.95 MX$51.7

163.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 HTG 1,194

$4.51 MX$79.1

103.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 HTG 286

$1.43 MX$25.12

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 HTG 345

$1.84 MX$32.23

44.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 HTG 396

$1.57 MX$27.51

93.63%

Eggs

$3.78 HTG 492

$2.51 MX$44.06

50.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 HTG 922

$8.28 MX$145

-14.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 HTG 781

$8.43 MX$148

-28.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 HTG 1,174

$10.68 MX$187

-15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 HTG 486

$2.61 MX$45.76

42.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 HTG 115

$1.44 MX$25.22

-38.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 HTG 98.0

$1.96 MX$34.41

-61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 HTG 292

$2.09 MX$36.74

7.18%

Potato (1kg)

$7.22 HTG 940

$1.85 MX$32.47

290.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 HTG 295

$2.17 MX$38.02

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 HTG 145

$1.03 MX$18.09

7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 HTG 131

$1.07 MX$18.84

-5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 HTG 610

$4.10 MX$72.0

14.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 HTG 1,488

$10.17 MX$178

12.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 HTG 201

$1.68 MX$29.38

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 HTG 281

$2.53 MX$44.31

-14.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 HTG 47.94

$0.51 MX$8.93

-27.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.61 HTG 4,897

$26.04 MX$457

44.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 50.8

$3.23 MX$56.7

-87.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.97 HTG 1,819

$3.23 MX$56.6

332.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 HTG 184

$1.32 MX$23.17

6.82%

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

$34.9K HTG 4.5M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

17.38%

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

$25.2K HTG 3.3M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

6.38%

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

$169 HTG 22.1K

$82.0 MX$1,439

106.65%

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

$45.64 HTG 5,942

$22.95 MX$403

98.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$232 HTG 30.3K

$30.11 MX$528

672.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 HTG 7,915

$52.0 MX$912

16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.59 HTG 2,030

$18.53 MX$325

-15.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 HTG 661

$4.98 MX$87.3

2.01%

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

$197 MX$3,463

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 HTG 11.8K

$35.60 MX$624

154.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 HTG 9,897

$40.33 MX$707

88.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 HTG 19.9K

$78.8 MX$1,381

94.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 HTG 24.6K

$88.9 MX$1,560

112.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 HTG 148.0K

$947 MX$16.6K

20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 HTG 122.1K

$474 MX$8,314

97.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 HTG 423.3K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

97.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,335 HTG 304.0K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

92.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,526 HTG 328.9K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-37.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,837 HTG 239.2K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-71.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 HTG 100.6K

$654 MX$11.5K

18.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

57.62%

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

Last update for Pétion-Ville: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,136 in Pétion-Ville versus $947 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 18% 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 $93.0 in Pétion-Ville versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $2,220 in Pétion-Ville, $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 77% apart. Pétion-Ville costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,330 per month in Pétion-Ville and $1,884 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 44% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Pétion-Ville, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Pétion-Ville at $2,220. 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $2,220 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.