Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Aizawl

For one person, living is cheaper in Aizawl: $363 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Aizawl
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Aizawl Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Aizawl

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Aizawl

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $363 in Aizawl, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Aizawl $363

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $583 in Aizawl, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Aizawl $583

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $802 in Aizawl, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Aizawl $802

Playa del Carmen costs about 232% more than Aizawl, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aizawl are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Aizawl 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.07 ₹197

427.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$10.55 ₹1,002

311.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.58 ₹340

229.05%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.67 ₹158

128.14%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.32 ₹30.72

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.15 ₹13.94

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.38 ₹226

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.84 ₹269

73.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.76 ₹71.8

85.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.55 ₹51.8

303.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.63 ₹60.0

125.40%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$0.91 ₹86.7

176.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$5.02 ₹477

44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.93 ₹373

95.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.90 ₹181

46.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$0.64 ₹60.6

114.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.95 ₹89.8

168.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.45 ₹43.09

371.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.33 ₹31.39

487.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.40 ₹38.05

372.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.40 ₹38.44

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.19 ₹18.06

521.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$5.03 ₹477

-14.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.79 ₹644

46.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.66 ₹158

-4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.96 ₹281

-9.80%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.96 ₹471

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.24 ₹22.68

129.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$6.10 ₹579

336.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.81 ₹76.5

513.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.27 ₹25.55

1133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$1.39 ₹132

285.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.11 ₹105

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$9,805 ₹930.9K

110.77%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

6.10%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$36.75 ₹3,489

130.72%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$3.57 ₹339

555.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$6.53 ₹620

338.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$14.21 ₹1,350

301.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$6.62 ₹629

336.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$2.97 ₹282

73.06%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$45.67 ₹4,335

352.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$1,529 ₹145.1K

156.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$21.88 ₹2,078

98.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$23.92 ₹2,271

73.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$38.25 ₹3,632

93.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$28.08 ₹2,666

217.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$103 ₹9,813

847.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$62.9 ₹5,975

505.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$255 ₹24.2K

569.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$160 ₹15.2K

573.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,015 ₹96.3K

288.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$500 ₹47.5K

1131.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$263 ₹25.0K

179.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.86

29.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aizawl: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Aizawl

$63 17.3% 83.5% $318

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Aizawl

$107 29.4% 58.1% $148

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Aizawl

$67 18.4% 67% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Aizawl

$47 12.9% 65.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Aizawl

$50 13.9% 54.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Aizawl

$20 5.6% 70.1% $47

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Aizawl

$9.2 2.5% 81.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $103 in Aizawl. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.8 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $11 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $107 – making Aizawl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇳 Aizawl

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

15:39 3:39 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

291,822

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Aizawl 15,080 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Aizawl

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 Aizawl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 232%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $545 in Aizawl. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aizawl, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $103 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $11 in Aizawl. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $363 in Aizawl. That makes Aizawl about 70% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aizawl, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Aizawl it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aizawl – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Aizawl. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.