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: $1,010 in Phoenix versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,548 in Phoenix versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,086 in Phoenix versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Phoenix costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phoenix 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 MUR 307

$11.72 MX$203

-44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.63 MUR 2,043

$41.89 MX$725

4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 MUR 316

$10.51 MX$182

-35.87%

Cappuccino

$2.55 MUR 119

$3.59 MX$62.0

-28.97%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.22

$1.51 MX$26.10

-33.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.82

$0.92 MX$15.83

-35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MUR 102

$2.96 MX$51.2

-26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MUR 131

$4.41 MX$76.3

-36.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MUR 70.1

$1.40 MX$24.16

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.16

$1.88 MX$32.60

-62.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 61.7

$1.56 MX$26.97

-15.38%

Eggs

$2.24 MUR 105

$2.61 MX$45.14

-14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MUR 464

$8.32 MX$144

19.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MUR 288

$8.35 MX$145

-26.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MUR 489

$10.86 MX$188

-3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 92.8

$2.71 MX$46.93

-26.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 MUR 88.8

$1.51 MX$26.04

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.3

$1.87 MX$32.41

-21.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 124

$2.19 MX$37.89

20.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 45.73

$1.86 MX$32.14

-47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 47.69

$2.23 MX$38.59

-54.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.11

$1.07 MX$18.48

-21.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 24.63

$1.09 MX$18.79

-51.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 MUR 281

$4.19 MX$72.4

43.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 MUR 394

$10.43 MX$180

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.6

$1.66 MX$28.68

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 MUR 99.8

$2.61 MX$45.19

-18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.68

$0.54 MX$9.37

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MUR 201

$3.08 MX$53.3

39.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MUR 124

$2.40 MX$41.61

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 MUR 719

$3.13 MX$54.1

390.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MUR 73.8

$1.31 MX$22.69

20.61%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

19.85%

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

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

21.64%

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

$49.40 MUR 2,314

$81.3 MX$1,406

-39.22%

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

$18.62 MUR 872

$22.56 MX$390

-17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 MUR 1,493

$30.05 MX$520

6.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.26 MUR 1,792

$52.9 MX$915

-27.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 MUR 282

$4.92 MX$85.1

22.36%

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

$154 MUR 7,216

$201 MX$3,474

-23.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,963 MUR 185.6K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-23.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 MUR 2,343

$35.92 MX$622

39.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 MUR 2,032

$40.13 MX$694

8.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MUR 3,825

$79.7 MX$1,379

2.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 MUR 3,660

$86.5 MX$1,496

-9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 MUR 26.3K

$978 MX$16.9K

-42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 MUR 18.1K

$470 MX$8,140

-17.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 MUR 40.7K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 MUR 28.3K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-49.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$932 MUR 43.7K

$677 MX$11.7K

37.74%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $561 in Phoenix and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phoenix pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Phoenix vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $252, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,010 vs $1,260 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Phoenix, 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: $561 in Phoenix versus $978 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 $1,010 per month in Phoenix versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,010 in Phoenix versus $1,260 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.