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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $801 in Adzope.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,151 in Adzope.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,500 in Adzope.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 62% more expensive than Adzope, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Adzope 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.55 F CFA 2,005

230.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$53.8 F CFA 30.3K

-22.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.27 F CFA 2,971

101.90%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$0.91 F CFA 512

286.81%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.84 F CFA 476

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.89 F CFA 502

8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.08 F CFA 611

173.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.05 F CFA 590

323.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.36 F CFA 1,334

-41.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.54 F CFA 306

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.04 F CFA 588

57.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.20 F CFA 1,243

14.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.06 F CFA 5,109

-7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.54 F CFA 4,815

-2.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.11 F CFA 3,443

75.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.72 F CFA 970

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.55 F CFA 307

165.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.09 F CFA 613

74.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.05 F CFA 1,159

1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.14 F CFA 643

56.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.55 F CFA 313

298.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.82 F CFA 460

26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.91 F CFA 514

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.79 F CFA 1,010

127.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.10 F CFA 3,440

69.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.05 F CFA 590

62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.36 F CFA 769

89.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.51 F CFA 290

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.51 F CFA 289

539.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.60 F CFA 902

55.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$26.75 F CFA 15.1K

-87.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.12 F CFA 634

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$26.4K F CFA 14.9M

14.52%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$21.4K F CFA 12.0M

9.69%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$187 F CFA 105.4K

-55.67%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$35.68 F CFA 20.1K

-37.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$46.52 F CFA 26.2K

-36.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.03 F CFA 5,095

-43.85%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$293 F CFA 165.1K

-31.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,294 F CFA 1.9M

58.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$69.3 F CFA 39.1K

-46.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$17.59 F CFA 9,920

126.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$84.0 F CFA 47.4K

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$137 F CFA 77.5K

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$143 F CFA 80.5K

581.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$104 F CFA 58.8K

348.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.75

-22.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Adzope: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $143 in Adzope. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $54.0 in Adzope. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $196, 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 62% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,202 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $143 in Adzope. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $293 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 $54.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $801 in Adzope versus $1,297 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 $801 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 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.