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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Pisa versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,714 in Pisa versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,591 in Pisa versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Pisa is roughly 46% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pisa is 37% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €15.12

$11.99 MX$210

44.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 €52.7

$41.78 MX$731

44.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.25

$10.75 MX$188

9.12%

Cappuccino

$1.70 €1.49

$3.50 MX$61.1

-51.43%

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

$2.93 €2.56

$1.45 MX$25.33

102.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.88 MX$15.47

28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.07

$2.95 MX$51.6

96.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 €3.58

$4.51 MX$78.9

-9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.43 MX$25.04

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.84 MX$32.13

2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.43

$1.57 MX$27.42

77.07%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.06

$2.51 MX$43.92

39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.16 €15.87

$8.28 MX$145

119.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 €10.94

$8.43 MX$147

48.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.75 €19.87

$10.68 MX$187

113.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.61 MX$45.62

-18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.44 MX$25.15

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 €2.37

$1.96 MX$34.31

38.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.09 MX$36.62

43.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.85 MX$32.37

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.45

$2.17 MX$37.90

-23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.03 MX$18.04

22.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.46

$1.07 MX$18.78

-50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.64 €6.67

$4.10 MX$71.7

86.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 €7.64

$10.17 MX$178

-13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.68 MX$29.29

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.77

$2.53 MX$44.17

25.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.74

$0.51 MX$8.90

290.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.96 €38.41

$26.04 MX$455

68.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.51

$3.23 MX$56.5

24.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.42

$2.41 MX$42.06

-32.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.36 €9.92

$3.23 MX$56.5

251.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.32 MX$23.10

51.52%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

14.74%

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

$35.1K €30.7K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

48.30%

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

$248 €217

$82.0 MX$1,434

202.26%

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

$12.20 €10.66

$22.95 MX$401

-46.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.24 €25.55

$30.11 MX$527

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.61 €33.74

$52.0 MX$909

-25.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.86 €18.22

$18.53 MX$324

12.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €9.05

$4.98 MX$87.0

107.83%

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

$574 €502

$197 MX$3,452

190.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.3K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

143.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 €70.0

$35.60 MX$622

124.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 €56.0

$40.33 MX$705

58.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 €76.5

$78.8 MX$1,377

11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €120

$88.9 MX$1,555

53.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 €672

$947 MX$16.6K

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €560

$474 MX$8,288

35.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 €1,126

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-21.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 €889

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-15.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 €3,133

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-11.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,837 €2,479

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-56.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,768 €1,545

$654 MX$11.4K

170.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.42

-57.97%

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

Last update for Pisa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Pisa and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pisa pays 170% 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: $60.0 in Pisa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Pisa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Pisa, 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: $769 in Pisa versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $574 in Pisa versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Pisa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,837 in Pisa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pisa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pisa 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Pisa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.