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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $442 in Alexandria, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $716 in Alexandria, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $989 in Alexandria, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 184% more than Alexandria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.64 E£186

229.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.94 E£814

162.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.76 E£243

125.84%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.49 E£75.9

134.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.29 E£14.55

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.12 E£5.97

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.17 E£59.6

152.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.91 E£148

54.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.80 E£40.99

78.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.75 E£38.24

145.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.70 E£35.75

124.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.45 E£74.2

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.89 E£199

112.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.40 E£225

91.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.74 E£497

9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.49 E£75.9

75.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.53 E£27.18

171.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.39 E£20.08

402.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.36 E£18.47

480.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.37 E£18.94

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.43 E£21.99

404.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.24 E£12.29

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.20 E£10.09

435.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.00 E£102

105.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.06 E£309

67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.35 E£68.9

24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.65 E£135

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.18 E£8.94

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$13.58 E£693

91.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.55 E£28.23

487.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.46 E£23.42

423.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.95 E£99.5

65.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.30 E£15.55

340.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.1K E£1.8M

-15.31%

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

$11.24 E£574

629.63%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.81 E£296

295.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.89 E£505

204.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$13.00 E£664

299.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$6.85 E£350

170.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.93 E£149

69.97%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$89.5 E£4,569

120.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,885 E£96.2K

183.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.10 E£1,383

31.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$49.05 E£2,504

-17.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$109 E£5,582

-27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.3 E£2,617

73.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$108 E£5,511

777.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$67.1 E£3,426

606.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$247 E£12.6K

566.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$134 E£6,820

806.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$717 E£36.6K

465.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$460 E£23.5K

1307.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$137 E£7,012

376.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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 Alexandria: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $108 in Alexandria. 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 376% 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 Alexandria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $131 – making Alexandria 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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 184% more than Alexandria, 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 $664 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $89.5 in Alexandria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alexandria, where all-in costs run around $442, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Alexandria 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. Alexandria costs $442 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 Alexandria. 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.