Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,672 in Acosta, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Acosta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Acosta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,672 in Acosta.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Acosta $1,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,657 in Acosta.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Acosta $2,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,642 in Acosta.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Acosta $3,642

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 28% less than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Acosta is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$11.97 ₡5,381

-10.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$58.9 ₡26.5K

-25.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$11.77 ₡5,291

0.17%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$4.30 ₡1,936

-11.86%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$2.54 ₡1,142

-48.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$1.91 ₡860

-56.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$3.37 ₡1,515

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

$4.47 ₡2,009

10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.44 ₡1,096

-42.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$2.71 ₡1,220

-18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$2.44 ₡1,099

-39.75%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$3.60 ₡1,617

-30.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$10.74 ₡4,827

-32.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$10.22 ₡4,596

-22.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$13.95 ₡6,274

-7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$5.16 ₡2,320

-43.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$1.57 ₡708

-12.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$3.33 ₡1,497

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$3.45 ₡1,553

-41.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$3.02 ₡1,358

-33.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$3.23 ₡1,452

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$1.03 ₡463

10.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$2.60 ₡1,171

-52.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$5.75 ₡2,586

-25.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$16.66 ₡7,492

-41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$2.61 ₡1,172

-39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$2.64 ₡1,188

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$1.33 ₡599

-61.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$2.51 ₡1,128

89.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$1.56 ₡703

108.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$8.49 ₡3,816

-36.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$1.53 ₡687

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-37.78%

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

$41.1K ₡18.5M

-43.35%

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$95.2 ₡42.8K

-12.33%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$30.00 ₡13.5K

-22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$58.8 ₡26.4K

-53.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$7.59 ₡3,414

-34.12%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$837 ₡376.3K

-75.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-69.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$71.3 ₡32.1K

-39.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

$56.6 ₡25.5K

-24.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$128 ₡57.7K

-43.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$131 ₡59.1K

-32.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$793 ₡356.4K

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$620 ₡278.7K

-38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$1,924 ₡865.2K

-12.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$1,256 ₡564.5K

-13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$1,921 ₡863.5K

103.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$1,506 ₡677.2K

-44.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.62

32.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Acosta: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Acosta

$620 37.1% 62.1% $237

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Acosta

$369 22.1% 43.4% $112

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Acosta

$226 13.5% 13% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Acosta

$184 11% 37% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Acosta

$174 10.4% 56.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Acosta

$83 4.9% 24.4% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Acosta

$16 * 0.9% 69% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $793 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 81% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $59 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $369 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,072

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Acosta 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Acosta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,672 in Acosta, so Playa del Carmen is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $793 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,672 in Acosta – Playa del Carmen is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,672 in Acosta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Acosta on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.