Cost of Living Comparison Between Petropolis and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Petropolis and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $748 in Petropolis versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,209 in Petropolis versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,671 in Petropolis versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Petropolis costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petropolis 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 R$31.15

$11.95 MX$208

-48.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.46 R$129

$41.94 MX$730

-39.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 R$34.16

$10.42 MX$181

-35.22%

Cappuccino

$1.71 R$8.63

$3.51 MX$61.2

-51.28%

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

$1.05 R$5.33

$1.52 MX$26.39

-30.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.96

$0.91 MX$15.84

-36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 R$5.58

$3.04 MX$52.9

-63.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 R$11.66

$4.37 MX$76.1

-47.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.52

$1.42 MX$24.73

-23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 R$7.37

$1.83 MX$31.87

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.86

$1.63 MX$28.45

-16.56%

Eggs

$1.86 R$9.39

$2.54 MX$44.20

-26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R$43.01

$8.57 MX$149

-0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 R$18.21

$8.49 MX$148

-57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 R$36.96

$10.80 MX$188

-32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.70

$2.75 MX$47.94

-52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.54

$1.44 MX$25.00

-23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.73

$1.89 MX$32.83

-60.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.55

$2.17 MX$37.77

-40.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.78 MX$30.97

-26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.21

$2.22 MX$38.71

-53.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.34

$1.07 MX$18.60

-57.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.81

$1.08 MX$18.79

-48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 R$9.75

$4.15 MX$72.2

-53.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 R$29.85

$10.45 MX$182

-43.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.78

$1.74 MX$30.34

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.35

$2.58 MX$44.92

-43.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.96

$0.51 MX$8.94

92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 R$228

$25.94 MX$451

74.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.44

$3.21 MX$55.9

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.58

$2.50 MX$43.55

-71.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 R$37.12

$3.19 MX$55.4

130.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.26 MX$21.87

-17.46%

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

$13.4K R$67.8K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

-54.86%

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

$17.9K R$90.7K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

-24.27%

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

$62.7 R$317

$82.0 MX$1,427

-23.60%

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

$10.71 R$54.2

$22.73 MX$395

-52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 R$89.8

$29.42 MX$512

-39.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.05 R$132

$52.2 MX$908

-50.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.96 R$182

$18.45 MX$321

94.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 R$28.33

$4.93 MX$85.9

13.59%

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

$186 R$941

$202 MX$3,511

-7.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,816 R$24.4K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

-7.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.03 R$192

$35.93 MX$625

5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.64 R$165

$40.33 MX$702

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 R$434

$79.9 MX$1,390

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 R$287

$89.3 MX$1,554

-36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 R$1,769

$948 MX$16.5K

-63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 R$959

$465 MX$8,097

-59.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 R$2,753

$1,630 MX$28.4K

-66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 R$2,183

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-63.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 R$13.0K

$3,933 MX$68.4K

-34.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,759 R$8,897

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-72.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 R$3,009

$658 MX$11.5K

-9.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.42

1.58%

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

Last update for Petropolis: July 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Petropolis and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Petropolis vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $252 per month, with Petropolis 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

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

Petropolis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $350 in Petropolis versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Petropolis – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $748 in Petropolis versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Petropolis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.