Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,088 in Piedras Negras versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,698 in Piedras Negras versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,308 in Piedras Negras versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Piedras Negras costs roughly 14% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Piedras Negras 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 MX$135

$11.95 MX$208

-34.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.60 MX$411

$41.94 MX$730

-43.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 MX$136

$10.42 MX$181

-25.05%

Cappuccino

$2.48 MX$43.22

$3.51 MX$61.2

-29.34%

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

$1.32 MX$22.97

$1.52 MX$26.39

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MX$11.93

$0.91 MX$15.84

-24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 MX$22.41

$3.04 MX$52.9

-57.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$49.74

$4.37 MX$76.1

-34.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.42 MX$24.73

20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$53.5

$1.83 MX$31.87

68.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.56

$1.63 MX$28.45

4.29%

Eggs

$3.51 MX$61.0

$2.54 MX$44.20

38.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 MX$161

$8.57 MX$149

8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MX$78.6

$8.49 MX$148

-46.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 MX$224

$10.80 MX$188

18.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 MX$45.67

$2.75 MX$47.94

-4.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.44 MX$25.00

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.01

$1.89 MX$32.83

-17.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$39.02

$2.17 MX$37.77

3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$38.44

$1.78 MX$30.97

24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.80

$2.22 MX$38.71

-15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MX$21.18

$1.07 MX$18.60

14.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.26

$1.08 MX$18.79

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.4

$4.15 MX$72.2

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 MX$191

$10.45 MX$182

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.79

$1.74 MX$30.34

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MX$58.6

$2.58 MX$44.92

30.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.51 MX$8.94

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MX$74.6

$3.21 MX$55.9

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.75

$2.50 MX$43.55

-38.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.12 MX$141

$3.19 MX$55.4

154.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.81

$1.26 MX$21.87

-0.79%

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

$18.4K MX$319.8K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

-38.10%

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

$23.4K MX$406.6K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

-1.33%

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

$56.5 MX$984

$82.0 MX$1,427

-31.07%

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

$17.14 MX$298

$22.73 MX$395

-24.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.88 MX$450

$29.42 MX$512

-12.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.39 MX$616

$52.2 MX$908

-32.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 MX$280

$18.45 MX$321

-12.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MX$78.7

$4.93 MX$85.9

-8.32%

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

$203 MX$3,530

$202 MX$3,511

0.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,552 MX$61.8K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

-31.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.59 MX$793

$35.93 MX$625

26.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.45 MX$704

$40.33 MX$702

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 MX$1,539

$79.9 MX$1,390

10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 MX$1,230

$89.3 MX$1,554

-20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 MX$8,843

$948 MX$16.5K

-46.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,850

$465 MX$8,097

-15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 MX$16.1K

$1,630 MX$28.4K

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MX$13.5K

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-34.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,926 MX$33.5K

$3,933 MX$68.4K

-51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-80.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 MX$30.3K

$658 MX$11.5K

164.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.42

0.53%

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

Last update for Piedras Negras: July 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Piedras Negras and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 165% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Piedras Negras vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Piedras Negras is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 165% higher in Piedras Negras, 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: $508 in Piedras Negras versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Piedras Negras versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,088 in Piedras Negras versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.