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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $805 in Adzope.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,164 in Adzope.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,523 in Adzope.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than in Adzope, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Adzope 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.57 F CFA 2,051

235.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$53.7 F CFA 30.8K

-22.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.15 F CFA 2,955

108.74%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$0.92 F CFA 527

280.43%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.87 F CFA 497

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.83 F CFA 477

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.08 F CFA 618

173.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.08 F CFA 620

317.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.42 F CFA 1,387

-40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.52 F CFA 296

253.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.03 F CFA 594

52.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.27 F CFA 1,304

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$8.61 F CFA 4,941

-3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.53 F CFA 4,898

-1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.04 F CFA 3,466

76.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.74 F CFA 999

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.51 F CFA 292

182.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.05 F CFA 600

86.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.97 F CFA 1,132

6.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.13 F CFA 650

63.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.55 F CFA 318

294.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.76 F CFA 434

35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.84 F CFA 484

27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.74 F CFA 999

135.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.22 F CFA 3,569

63.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.01 F CFA 581

66.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.38 F CFA 795

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.54 F CFA 311

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.55 F CFA 318

487.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.60 F CFA 920

50.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$26.57 F CFA 15.3K

-87.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.13 F CFA 649

16.81%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$27.0K F CFA 15.5M

10.13%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$21.0K F CFA 12.1M

12.41%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$187 F CFA 107.6K

-56.24%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$35.74 F CFA 20.5K

-35.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$45.58 F CFA 26.2K

-33.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.84 F CFA 5,073

-43.67%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$286 F CFA 164.3K

-31.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,269 F CFA 1.9M

63.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$71.5 F CFA 41.0K

-50.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$17.89 F CFA 10.3K

125.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$86.0 F CFA 49.4K

-8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$139 F CFA 80.0K

-36.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$142 F CFA 81.5K

567.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$104 F CFA 60.0K

353.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Adzope: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $142 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 $193, 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 56% 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,208 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $142 in Adzope. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 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 $805 in Adzope versus $1,256 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 $805 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.