Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Agana Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Agana Heights: $1,004 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Agana Heights

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,004

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Agana Heights

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 Agana Heights actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Agana Heights.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Agana Heights $1,004

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,352 in Agana Heights.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Agana Heights $1,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,701 in Agana Heights.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Agana Heights $1,701

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 20% more expensive than in Agana Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Agana Heights 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.75 $1.75

-16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$4.80 $4.80

-53.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.75 $1.75

-15.43%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$4.08 $4.08

-38.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$26.10 $26.10

-71.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$6.79 $6.79

17.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$17.34 $17.34

-27.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.93 $3.93

-29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.21 $1.21

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.92 $1.92

36.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$6.47 $6.47

-66.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.78 $2.78

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.77 $2.77

-28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$3.88 $3.88

-70.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.96 $1.96

-38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$9.81 $9.81

-56.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$12.10 $12.10

-17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.83 $1.83

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.48 $1.48

79.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.95 $2.95

-82.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$60.2 $60.2

-54.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$10.02 $10.02

-51.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$39.3K $39.3K

-46.13%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$35.5K $35.5K

-35.25%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$340 $340

-74.89%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$75.2 $75.2

-68.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$97.6 $97.6

-70.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Agana Heights: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Agana Heights

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Agana Heights

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Agana Heights

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Agana Heights

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Agana Heights

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Agana Heights

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Agana Heights

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇺 Agana Heights

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

23:31 11:31 PM

15 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,940

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Agana Heights 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Agana Heights

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 Agana Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agana Heights wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agana Heights the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $1,506 in Agana Heights 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.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Agana Heights – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 58% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,004 in Agana Heights versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agana Heights but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Agana Heights the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Agana Heights delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,004 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Agana Heights hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Agana Heights are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Agana Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.