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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $901 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,405 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,908 in Alexandria.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 45% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Alexandria 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.01 RON 40.80

32.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$31.62 RON 143

49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.74 RON 35.03

51.81%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.82 RON 8.23

126.37%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.90 RON 8.59

-26.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.52 RON 6.86

-40.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.23 RON 10.10

43.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.70 RON 12.23

161.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.45 RON 6.56

15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.85 RON 3.86

152.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.21 RON 5.48

46.28%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.21 RON 10.02

27.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.22 RON 23.63

76.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.72 RON 21.36

95.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.56 RON 38.79

47.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$0.96 RON 4.36

207.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.24 RON 5.63

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.01 RON 4.58

119.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.98 RON 4.42

140.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.71 RON 3.21

180.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.68 RON 3.09

191.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.80 RON 3.62

55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.93 RON 4.20

30.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.50 RON 24.89

-16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.64 RON 25.54

86.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.99 RON 4.48

70.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.14 RON 5.15

142.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.67 RON 3.05

-10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$44.18 RON 200

-32.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.46 RON 2.08

1039.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.46 RON 2.06

693.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.74 RON 25.99

0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.75 RON 7.94

-12.00%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$17.4K RON 78.9K

30.92%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$23.9K RON 108.4K

7.85%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$122 RON 553

-25.75%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$5.37 RON 24.31

369.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$8.01 RON 36.29

296.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$62.4 RON 283

10.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$27.00 RON 122

8.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.49 RON 29.39

-25.12%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$327 RON 1,482

-31.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,077 RON 32.0K

-40.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$55.7 RON 252

-14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$23.04 RON 104

88.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$66.7 RON 302

20.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$65.3 RON 296

39.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$329 RON 1,491

229.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$259 RON 1,173

57.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$599 RON 2,714

229.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$437 RON 1,981

192.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,340 RON 6,068

201.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$826 RON 3,740

711.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$907 RON 4,110

-14.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.73

70.13%

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 Alexandria: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $329 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $159 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 45% 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, salaries run 17% lower in Alexandria. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $329 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $901 in Alexandria – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $901 in Alexandria versus $1,305 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 $901 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.