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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $770 in Adzope.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,286 in Adzope.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,802 in Adzope.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 69% more expensive than in Adzope, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Adzope 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.70 F CFA 1,527

342.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$70.8 F CFA 40.0K

-33.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$10.65 F CFA 6,019

10.33%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.98 F CFA 1,119

108.08%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.81 F CFA 460

72.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.78 F CFA 441

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.08 F CFA 608

197.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.73 F CFA 978

308.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.90 F CFA 1,073

-11.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.52 F CFA 294

313.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.25 F CFA 706

41.60%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.38 F CFA 1,343

18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$21.72 F CFA 12.3K

-57.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.57 F CFA 3,710

40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.05 F CFA 3,417

108.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.09 F CFA 2,313

-27.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.16 F CFA 657

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.25 F CFA 1,269

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.47 F CFA 1,395

-4.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.86 F CFA 1,049

6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.82 F CFA 1,030

8.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.87 F CFA 494

42.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.82 F CFA 461

47.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.76 F CFA 992

161.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.27 F CFA 3,543

67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.11 F CFA 628

52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.42 F CFA 801

95.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.80 F CFA 1,018

191.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.75 F CFA 989

108.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$26.53 F CFA 15.0K

-78.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.50 F CFA 849

2.67%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$29.2K F CFA 16.5M

-21.97%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$28.0K F CFA 15.8M

-7.67%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$187 F CFA 105.4K

-51.39%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$28.27 F CFA 16.0K

-10.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$34.35 F CFA 19.4K

-7.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.90 F CFA 5,029

-45.39%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$372 F CFA 210.0K

-39.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,799 F CFA 2.7M

-12.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$93.9 F CFA 53.1K

-49.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$38.45 F CFA 21.7K

13.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$78.1 F CFA 44.1K

2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$145 F CFA 82.0K

-37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

15.75

-27.30%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Adzope: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $71.0 in Adzope. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $247, with Adzope 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

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

Adzope wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Adzope the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,155 in Adzope to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $372 in Adzope. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Adzope – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $770 in Adzope versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Adzope but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Adzope the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Adzope delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $770 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Adzope hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Adzope gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.