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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,126 in Akbuk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,800 in Akbuk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,473 in Akbuk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Akbuk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Akbuk are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Akbuk 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.33 ₺453

28.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$66.1 ₺3,209

-28.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$10.05 ₺488

16.92%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.33 ₺162

23.72%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.17 ₺105

-35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.38 ₺18.61

139.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.75 ₺182

-14.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.93 ₺288

19.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.04 ₺50.6

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.95 ₺46.25

126.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.36 ₺115

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.02 ₺98.1

39.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$12.30 ₺597

-25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.61 ₺272

64.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$26.13 ₺1,269

-51.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.42 ₺69.1

107.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.30 ₺111

-31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.35 ₺65.4

64.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.37 ₺66.5

72.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.70 ₺34.21

184.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.64 ₺30.85

209.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.85 ₺89.6

-32.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.68 ₺33.25

77.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.65 ₺129

73.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$13.66 ₺663

-22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.33 ₺113

-27.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.10 ₺150

-10.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.76 ₺37.09

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$33.47 ₺1,625

-11.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.35 ₺65.7

288.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.00 ₺48.69

265.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.05 ₺245

14.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.42 ₺69.0

8.45%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$48.9K ₺2.4M

-53.35%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$45.2K ₺2.2M

-42.85%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$66.8 ₺3,245

35.69%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$9.65 ₺468

161.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$21.39 ₺1,039

48.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$47.15 ₺2,289

45.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.82 ₺428

-44.90%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$611 ₺29.6K

-63.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$13.4K ₺650.9K

-68.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$45.57 ₺2,213

3.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$60.2 ₺2,923

-27.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$86.4 ₺4,193

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$81.1 ₺3,935

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$459 ₺22.3K

136.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$339 ₺16.5K

20.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$753 ₺36.6K

161.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$573 ₺27.8K

123.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,351 ₺65.6K

199.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,128 ₺54.8K

494.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

39.17

-70.77%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Akbuk: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $459 in Akbuk. 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 $66.0 in Akbuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $278 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Akbuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,689 in Akbuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $66.0 in Akbuk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Akbuk, where all-in costs run around $1,126, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Akbuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Akbuk – 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 Akbuk. 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.