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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $458 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $744 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,029 in Aja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 183% more than Aja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Aja 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.63 E£188

223.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$15.93 E£827

161.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.66 E£242

128.33%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.43 E£74.4

146.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.31 E£16.17

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.10 E£4.97

870.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.20 E£62.5

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.05 E£158

45.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.91 E£47.32

51.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.62 E£32.40

204.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.65 E£33.56

152.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.45 E£75.5

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.40 E£177

145.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.36 E£226

91.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.78 E£456

22.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.43 E£74.4

81.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.59 E£30.49

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.39 E£20.30

387.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.37 E£19.10

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.38 E£19.49

368.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.40 E£20.93

447.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.24 E£12.52

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.18 E£9.22

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$2.00 E£104

104.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$6.36 E£330

62.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.35 E£70.1

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.86 E£96.7

38.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.20 E£10.52

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.42 E£21.72

676.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.29 E£14.86

758.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.02 E£105

60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.31 E£15.85

322.58%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-15.00%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$33.8K E£1.8M

-30.61%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$11.90 E£618

596.39%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$6.44 E£334

245.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$10.67 E£554

174.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.13 E£1,148

133.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$2.97 E£154

70.71%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$89.4 E£4,640

124.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,825 E£94.7K

185.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$27.84 E£1,445

32.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$49.14 E£2,551

-19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$107 E£5,544

-26.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$50.2 E£2,604

73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$191 E£9,930

408.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$101 E£5,264

361.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$308 E£16.0K

433.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$177 E£9,162

591.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$794 E£41.2K

396.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$410 E£21.3K

1484.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$313 E£16.2K

112.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Aja: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 in Aja. 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 112% 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 $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $124 – making Aja 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 Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 183% more than Aja, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $687 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $458 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $89.4 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aja, where all-in costs run around $458, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Aja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aja costs $458 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Aja. 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.