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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,023 in Phoenix versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,543 in Phoenix versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,064 in Phoenix versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Phoenix costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phoenix 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 MUR 302

$11.73 MX$202

-45.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.72 MUR 2,105

$41.78 MX$719

7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 MUR 313

$10.41 MX$179

-36.22%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MUR 126

$3.61 MX$62.1

-25.76%

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

$1.03 MUR 48.39

$1.46 MX$25.06

-29.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.39

$0.97 MX$16.70

-42.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MUR 102

$2.92 MX$50.3

-25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MUR 131

$4.62 MX$79.5

-39.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MUR 71.0

$1.43 MX$24.59

5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MUR 32.62

$1.90 MX$32.70

-63.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.7

$1.57 MX$26.95

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 109

$2.64 MX$45.34

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 MUR 470

$8.44 MX$145

18.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MUR 294

$8.58 MX$148

-27.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MUR 491

$11.00 MX$189

-5.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 MUR 96.0

$2.70 MX$46.51

-24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MUR 91.2

$1.51 MX$25.92

28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 67.2

$1.91 MX$32.93

-25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 MUR 130

$2.17 MX$37.37

27.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.24

$1.87 MX$32.25

-47.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.57

$2.23 MX$38.43

-55.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.43

$1.08 MX$18.60

-26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 24.86

$1.07 MX$18.47

-50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 MUR 280

$4.16 MX$71.6

42.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 MUR 402

$10.29 MX$177

-16.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MUR 84.5

$1.68 MX$28.95

6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MUR 102

$2.53 MX$43.59

-14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 MUR 48.70

$0.55 MX$9.53

87.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MUR 212

$3.20 MX$55.0

40.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MUR 128

$2.46 MX$42.37

10.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.68 MUR 738

$3.20 MX$55.0

390.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MUR 72.3

$1.32 MX$22.72

16.67%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$30.2K MX$518.8K

18.39%

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

$28.7K MUR 1.4M

$23.4K MX$402.5K

22.57%

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

$48.93 MUR 2,304

$81.4 MX$1,400

-39.85%

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

$18.48 MUR 870

$22.41 MX$386

-17.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.07 MUR 1,557

$29.97 MX$516

10.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.78 MUR 1,826

$51.6 MX$887

-24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 MUR 280

$5.16 MX$88.9

15.12%

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

$151 MUR 7,122

$202 MX$3,471

-25.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,014 MUR 189.0K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

-24.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.72 MUR 2,341

$35.61 MX$613

39.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 MUR 2,060

$40.37 MX$695

8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 MUR 3,940

$78.6 MX$1,353

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 MUR 3,645

$86.9 MX$1,495

-10.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 MUR 25.6K

$950 MX$16.3K

-42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MUR 18.4K

$478 MX$8,227

-18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MUR 41.9K

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 MUR 28.3K

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-50.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 MUR 45.5K

$673 MX$11.6K

43.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.42

-45.27%

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

Last update for Phoenix: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $543 in Phoenix and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phoenix pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phoenix vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $254, with Phoenix cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Phoenix and Playa del Carmen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,023 vs $1,294 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phoenix pays 43% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $543 in Phoenix versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,023 per month in Phoenix versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,023 in Phoenix versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phoenix but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Phoenix 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.

Safety-wise, Phoenix and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phoenix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.