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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $847 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,408 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,970 in Alexandria.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Alexandria 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.40 RON 42.53

26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.16 RON 150

29.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.88 RON 31.13

54.80%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.88 RON 8.50

83.51%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.01 RON 9.08

-25.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.64 RON 7.41

-42.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.34 RON 10.58

29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.83 RON 12.80

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.41 RON 6.36

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.27 RON 5.76

45.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.41 RON 6.39

14.18%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.35 RON 6.08

91.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$5.36 RON 24.27

54.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.49 RON 20.33

86.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.89 RON 40.23

19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.88 RON 3.96

198.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.59 RON 7.20

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.17 RON 5.27

64.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.17 RON 5.29

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.48 RON 2.18

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.70 RON 3.19

222.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.48 RON 2.17

120.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.71 RON 3.22

53.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.41 RON 24.47

-23.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.49 RON 24.82

89.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.72 RON 3.26

138.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$0.88 RON 3.97

196.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.67 RON 3.04

-19.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$23.22 RON 105

16.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.45 RON 2.02

595.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.41 RON 1.83

512.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.01 RON 22.65

-37.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.59 RON 7.20

-20.13%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$17.6K RON 79.8K

72.25%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.2K RON 109.4K

-2.56%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$116 RON 523

-28.20%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$6.79 RON 30.72

234.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.00 RON 31.66

320.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$38.11 RON 172

33.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$9.44 RON 42.70

94.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.70 RON 21.27

4.89%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$438 RON 1,982

-54.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,957 RON 31.5K

-24.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$68.4 RON 310

-46.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.20 RON 155

16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$68.0 RON 308

17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$68.1 RON 308

31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$342 RON 1,547

179.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$227 RON 1,027

110.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$808 RON 3,657

103.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$565 RON 2,556

116.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,334 RON 6,036

193.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$832 RON 3,763

676.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,362 RON 6,162

-51.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.5

75.69%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $342 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $157 per month, with Alexandria 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

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Alexandria earns 104% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $342 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $847 in Alexandria – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $847 in Alexandria versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.