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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $369 in Aizawl, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $617 in Aizawl, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $866 in Aizawl, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 240% more than Aizawl, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aizawl are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aizawl 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.36 ₹228

408.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$10.30 ₹993

305.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.18 ₹403

157.18%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.44 ₹139

143.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.35 ₹33.39

314.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.20 ₹18.88

340.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.41 ₹136

109.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.88 ₹278

56.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.77 ₹74.4

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.59 ₹56.9

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.54 ₹51.9

190.74%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.01 ₹97.5

148.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$2.29 ₹220

261.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.90 ₹376

116.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.98 ₹191

31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.25 ₹121

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.42 ₹137

38.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.03 ₹99.3

102.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.57 ₹54.5

224.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.55 ₹53.4

294.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.48 ₹46.67

114.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.24 ₹22.93

345.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.82 ₹368

7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.86 ₹661

48.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.30 ₹125

29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.97 ₹286

-14.81%

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

$4.93 ₹475

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.30 ₹29.10

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$8.89 ₹857

192.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.57 ₹54.8

466.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.34 ₹32.82

608.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.15 ₹111

180.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.10 ₹106

20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$14.9K ₹1.4M

99.34%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$19.4K ₹1.9M

21.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.53 ₹1,112

611.27%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$3.44 ₹332

567.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$5.18 ₹499

481.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$11.54 ₹1,113

350.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$10.34 ₹998

79.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.94 ₹284

69.39%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$34.37 ₹3,315

474.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,561 ₹150.6K

241.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$24.43 ₹2,356

45.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$37.70 ₹3,636

6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$60.8 ₹5,860

29.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$43.39 ₹4,184

104.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$110 ₹10.6K

758.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$71.1 ₹6,852

567.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$283 ₹27.3K

479.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$180 ₹17.4K

571.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,119 ₹107.9K

262.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$494 ₹47.6K

1210.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$258 ₹24.8K

153.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.67

31.72%

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 Aizawl: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $110 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 run about 154% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $10.00 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $108 – making Aizawl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 240%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $554 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $10.00 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $369 in Aizawl. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aizawl, where all-in costs run around $369, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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