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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $137 in Afgoye.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Afgoye.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $386 in Afgoye.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 842% more expensive than in Afgoye, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Afgoye 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$1.02 SOS 582

1048.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$3.40 SOS 1,930

242.65%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$0.52 SOS 295

686.54%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.52 SOS 297

163.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.23 SOS 131

260.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$2.96 SOS 1,684

-41.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$3.63 SOS 2,059

-24.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.76 SOS 4,410

62.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

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

$25.04 MX$423

$4.94 SOS 2,803

406.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$25.23 SOS 14.3K

24.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

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

$225 MX$3,802

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$10.05 SOS 5,710

372.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$18.12 SOS 10.3K

408.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$60.5 SOS 34.4K

1667.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$158 SOS 89.9K

1122.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$89.1 SOS 50.6K

1360.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$202 SOS 114.7K

270.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Afgoye: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $60.5 in Afgoye. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 271% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Afgoye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Afgoye differ by about 842% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $137 including rent). Afgoye is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 271% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $60.5 in Afgoye. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 310% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $137 in Afgoye – a 842% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $137 in Afgoye versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Afgoye but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Afgoye 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.

Expats usually find Afgoye gentler on the wallet – expenses run 842% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.