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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,054 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,700 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,346 in Alexandria.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 20% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Alexandria 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$15.67 JMD 2,459

-25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$77.2 JMD 12.1K

-38.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.79 JMD 1,380

35.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$5.46 JMD 857

-27.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.19 JMD 187

20.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.73 JMD 115

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.27 JMD 356

40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.22 JMD 505

110.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$4.25 JMD 666

-60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$3.71 JMD 582

-40.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.65 JMD 259

3.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.47 JMD 545

-21.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.54 JMD 1,810

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.43 JMD 1,008

40.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.27 JMD 1,611

24.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$6.12 JMD 961

-52.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.93 JMD 617

-61.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$7.22 JMD 1,132

-70.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.11 JMD 488

-27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$3.32 JMD 522

-40.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.74 JMD 429

-27.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$3.00 JMD 471

-59.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.51 JMD 238

-20.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$9.58 JMD 1,504

-52.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$11.39 JMD 1,787

-8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.94 JMD 461

-44.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$4.10 JMD 644

-29.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.22 JMD 192

341.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.22 JMD 505

15.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$6.21 JMD 974

-7.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.39 JMD 218

10.79%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$44.6K JMD 7.0M

-49.45%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

-19.66%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$177 JMD 27.7K

-48.31%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$29.86 JMD 4,685

-15.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$53.6 JMD 8,403

-41.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$13.44 JMD 2,109

-63.84%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$368 JMD 57.7K

-39.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$8,319 JMD 1.3M

-49.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$23.65 JMD 3,710

99.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$31.07 JMD 4,875

42.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$78.8 JMD 12.4K

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$102 JMD 15.9K

-8.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $77.0 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $388 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 and Alexandria differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,054 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,581 in Alexandria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Alexandria versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.