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 $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $450 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $718 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $987 in Aja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 187% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aja 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$4.21 E£214

178.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$789

$13.85 E£705

236.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.83 E£246

141.20%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.3

$1.48 E£75.4

176.35%

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

$1.37 MX$23.28

$0.37 E£18.83

270.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.12

$0.14 E£7.17

492.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.8

$1.29 E£65.6

159.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.83 E£144

144.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.26

$0.98 E£49.99

76.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.29

$0.61 E£30.98

270.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.98

$0.73 E£37.24

142.47%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.29

$1.41 E£71.6

93.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$3.32 E£169

176.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.06 E£206

119.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$9.03 E£459

39.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.2

$1.70 E£86.4

77.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.61

$0.77 E£39.24

103.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.01

$0.51 E£25.84

317.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.36

$0.40 E£20.15

465.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.95

$0.37 E£18.65

440.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.98

$0.32 E£16.52

543.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.99

$0.27 E£13.70

337.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.40

$0.22 E£11.11

445.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.5

$2.25 E£114

105.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.44 E£379

43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.25 E£63.5

29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.81

$2.43 E£124

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.71

$0.21 E£10.63

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.3

$0.37 E£18.90

1372.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.8

$0.23 E£11.91

1508.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.70 E£86.7

251.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.32

$0.43 E£21.63

260.47%

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

$22.3K MX$378.3K

$34.4K E£1.8M

-35.10%

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

$25.9K MX$439.6K

$28.4K E£1.4M

-8.53%

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

$89.1 MX$1,510

$17.64 E£897

405.27%

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

$25.04 MX$424

$6.84 E£348

266.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$534

$13.08 E£665

140.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,148

$19.88 E£1,011

240.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$490

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.6

$2.85 E£145

77.19%

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

$225 MX$3,811

$94.5 E£4,808

138.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.5K

$1,692 E£86.1K

149.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$804

$17.16 E£873

176.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$762

$49.94 E£2,540

-9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,389

$102 E£5,165

-19.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,560

$49.06 E£2,495

87.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$129 E£6,539

731.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,867

$79.7 E£4,053

408.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.8K

$279 E£14.2K

594.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$144 E£7,341

801.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.7K

$856 E£43.6K

366.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.3K

$413 E£21.0K

1504.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.21

-29.36%

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 Aja: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $129 in Aja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $14.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $130 – 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 187% more than Aja, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $675 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $450 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $94.5 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 $450, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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 $450 versus $1,293 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.