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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $456 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $738 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,019 in Aja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 175% more than Aja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aja 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.49 E£178

243.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.55 E£794

168.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.52 E£231

137.83%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.50 E£76.7

133.33%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.31 E£16.07

367.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.10 E£4.88

780.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.15 E£59.0

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.88 E£147

56.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.83 E£42.26

72.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.61 E£31.25

201.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.70 E£35.97

124.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.46 E£74.6

71.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.43 E£175

141.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.24 E£217

98.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.57 E£437

24.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.47 E£75.0

77.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.55 E£28.04

161.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.42 E£21.69

366.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.40 E£20.35

422.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.37 E£19.10

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.41 E£20.68

429.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.22 E£11.16

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.19 E£9.81

463.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.94 E£99.3

111.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.30 E£322

61.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.31 E£66.8

28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.81 E£92.3

39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.16 E£8.22

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.41 E£21.11

687.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.29 E£14.78

731.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.93 E£98.6

67.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.30 E£15.56

340.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.8K E£1.8M

-17.06%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-28.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.99 E£612

583.99%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.54 E£334

250.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.65 E£544

182.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.66 E£1,157

129.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.89 E£148

72.32%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$89.8 E£4,582

119.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,881 E£96.0K

183.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.07 E£1,382

31.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$48.11 E£2,456

-16.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$111 E£5,650

-28.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.3 E£2,620

73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$187 E£9,550

406.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$98.6 E£5,035

380.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$308 E£15.7K

434.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$180 E£9,187

572.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$839 E£42.9K

383.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$431 E£22.0K

1400.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aja: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $187 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $122 – 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 175% 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $684 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $89.8 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 $456, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $456 versus $1,256 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.