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: $1,085 in Piedras Negras versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,689 in Piedras Negras versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,293 in Piedras Negras versus $2,999 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

$7.80 MX$135

$11.67 MX$202

-33.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.96 MX$415

$41.88 MX$726

-42.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$10.40 MX$180

-23.17%

Cappuccino

$2.44 MX$42.36

$3.61 MX$62.6

-32.41%

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

$1.32 MX$22.85

$1.47 MX$25.45

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.72

$0.91 MX$15.80

-25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 MX$23.25

$3.03 MX$52.6

-55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$48.99

$4.47 MX$77.4

-36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.38

$1.38 MX$23.83

18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.84 MX$31.93

69.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.12

$1.61 MX$27.82

4.35%

Eggs

$3.50 MX$60.7

$2.57 MX$44.52

36.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MX$164

$8.49 MX$147

11.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MX$78.3

$8.49 MX$147

-46.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 MX$225

$10.99 MX$190

18.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.05

$2.73 MX$47.25

-4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$22.50

$1.50 MX$25.92

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.21

$1.96 MX$33.93

-16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.28

$2.12 MX$36.70

1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$39.86

$1.86 MX$32.30

23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.56

$2.17 MX$37.67

-13.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MX$20.16

$1.07 MX$18.59

8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.51

$1.05 MX$18.18

7.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.0

$4.19 MX$72.6

-2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 MX$192

$10.28 MX$178

7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.69

$1.67 MX$28.87

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MX$60.2

$2.49 MX$43.12

39.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 MX$16.88

$0.54 MX$9.37

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 MX$76.1

$3.10 MX$53.8

41.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$26.95

$2.46 MX$42.66

-36.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 MX$148

$3.24 MX$56.1

162.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.54

$1.26 MX$21.83

-1.59%

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

$18.4K MX$318.3K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-39.11%

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

$24.0K MX$415.6K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

2.30%

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

$57.0 MX$988

$84.0 MX$1,456

-32.10%

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

$17.16 MX$297

$22.21 MX$385

-22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.54 MX$443

$29.65 MX$514

-13.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.99 MX$624

$52.6 MX$912

-31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 MX$271

$18.34 MX$318

-14.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MX$81.4

$4.95 MX$85.7

-5.05%

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

$208 MX$3,596

$198 MX$3,438

4.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,566 MX$61.8K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-32.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 MX$783

$35.95 MX$623

25.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 MX$692

$40.06 MX$694

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 MX$1,523

$78.8 MX$1,365

11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MX$1,228

$86.5 MX$1,499

-18.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,754

$977 MX$16.9K

-48.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$6,925

$471 MX$8,158

-15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 MX$16.0K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-42.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 MX$13.0K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-38.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 MX$34.0K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-51.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,290 MX$22.4K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-80.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,710 MX$29.6K

$714 MX$12.4K

139.37%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Piedras Negras and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 139% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Piedras Negras vs $42 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Piedras Negras pays 139% 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: $505 in Piedras Negras versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Piedras Negras versus $198 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 $1,085 in Piedras Negras versus $1,261 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.