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: $1,021 in Phoenix versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,545 in Phoenix versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,069 in Phoenix versus $3,082 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 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 MUR 310

$11.94 MX$208

-44.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.74 MUR 2,092

$42.75 MX$744

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 MUR 307

$10.59 MX$184

-38.05%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MUR 125

$3.62 MX$63.0

-26.24%

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

$1.02 MUR 47.62

$1.47 MX$25.54

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 27.83

$0.94 MX$16.41

-36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MUR 99.5

$3.09 MX$53.8

-31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MUR 131

$4.46 MX$77.6

-37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 67.9

$1.43 MX$24.80

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.59

$1.88 MX$32.79

-65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 59.7

$1.63 MX$28.34

-21.47%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.64 MX$45.99

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 MUR 468

$8.21 MX$143

21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MUR 290

$8.29 MX$144

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MUR 490

$11.10 MX$193

-5.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MUR 96.4

$2.65 MX$46.14

-22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 92.6

$1.50 MX$26.11

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 66.9

$1.99 MX$34.59

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 123

$2.08 MX$36.13

26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 45.98

$1.79 MX$31.11

-45.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 45.99

$2.18 MX$37.87

-55.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 36.90

$1.08 MX$18.73

-26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 24.83

$1.04 MX$18.04

-49.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 MUR 280

$3.97 MX$69.1

50.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 MUR 406

$10.20 MX$178

-14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 79.8

$1.73 MX$30.04

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MUR 97.9

$2.50 MX$43.46

-16.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.39

$0.52 MX$9.02

90.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MUR 203

$3.14 MX$54.7

38.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 MUR 128

$2.40 MX$41.80

14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.58 MUR 728

$3.09 MX$53.7

404.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MUR 71.1

$1.27 MX$22.16

19.69%

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

$35.6K MUR 1.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

15.29%

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

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

25.91%

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

$49.77 MUR 2,327

$82.0 MX$1,427

-39.31%

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

$18.07 MUR 845

$22.45 MX$391

-19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.07 MUR 1,499

$29.66 MX$516

8.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.91 MUR 1,819

$51.9 MX$903

-24.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 MUR 279

$4.97 MX$86.5

19.92%

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

$156 MUR 7,286

$198 MX$3,442

-21.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,955 MUR 184.9K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-25.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.82 MUR 2,329

$36.34 MX$632

37.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 MUR 2,030

$40.05 MX$697

8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MUR 3,834

$79.9 MX$1,390

2.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 MUR 3,612

$88.9 MX$1,547

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 MUR 25.6K

$963 MX$16.8K

-43.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 MUR 17.9K

$465 MX$8,086

-17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 MUR 40.5K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 MUR 27.9K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-50.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$683 MUR 31.9K

$720 MX$12.5K

-5.18%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $548 in Phoenix and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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: $45.00 in Phoenix vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $214 vs $251, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,021 vs $1,287 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 5% less. 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: $548 in Phoenix versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,021 per month in Phoenix versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,021 in Phoenix versus $1,287 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 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.