Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,327 in Ajijic, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ajijic outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
Learn more

Ajijic Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,327 in Ajijic, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ajijic $1,327

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,083 in Ajijic, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ajijic $2,083

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,840 in Ajijic, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ajijic $2,840

Playa del Carmen is about 9% cheaper than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ajijic are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ajijic 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$9.36 MX$176

16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$42.80 MX$804

1.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.89 MX$130

70.97%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$3.53 MX$66.4

7.93%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.58 MX$29.63

-18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.16 MX$21.78

-32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.18 MX$41.03

45.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.29 MX$61.8

49.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.43 MX$26.84

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$2.18 MX$41.00

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.09 MX$20.58

30.28%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.25 MX$42.24

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.96 MX$150

-8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$8.19 MX$154

-5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$7.07 MX$133

79.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.17 MX$40.80

28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.30 MX$24.51

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.52 MX$28.65

67.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.68 MX$31.51

26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.51 MX$28.28

28.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.39 MX$26.05

35.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.02 MX$19.18

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.88 MX$16.53

34.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$4.43 MX$83.3

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$8.58 MX$161

15.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.50 MX$28.20

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.30 MX$24.37

105.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.68 MX$12.70

-19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$57.9 MX$1,088

-54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.24 MX$23.33

300.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$4.23 MX$79.4

-21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$10.75 MX$202

-50.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.48 MX$27.73

-2.70%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$24.6K MX$463.2K

-16.15%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$23.6K MX$444.3K

-0.75%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$55.2 MX$1,038

53.49%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$14.17 MX$266

65.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$24.59 MX$462

16.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$24.01 MX$451

137.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$5.27 MX$99.1

448.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$4.77 MX$89.6

7.76%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$211 MX$3,967

-2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$2,800 MX$52.6K

40.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$42.69 MX$802

1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$16.24 MX$305

155.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$66.4 MX$1,249

11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$69.5 MX$1,307

28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$844 MX$15.9K

16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$644 MX$12.1K

-40.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,509 MX$28.4K

13.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,248 MX$23.5K

-13.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$3,324 MX$62.5K

18.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,782 MX$33.5K

245.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$548 MX$10.3K

34.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.2

2.23%

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 Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ajijic

$644 48.6% 69.2% $263

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ajijic

$218 16.4% 14.5% $37

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ajijic

$166 12.5% 17.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ajijic

$94 7.1% 31.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ajijic

$88 6.6% 21.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ajijic

$34 2.5% 50.2% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ajijic

$83 6.3% 64.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $844 in Ajijic. 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 34% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $43 in Ajijic. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $218 in Ajijic – so Ajijic wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

20:17 8:17 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

11,439

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ajijic 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ajijic

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 Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,990 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $844 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,327 in Ajijic. That makes Playa del Carmen about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $211 in Ajijic. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,327 in Ajijic, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,327 in Ajijic. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.