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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,747 in Amadora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,557 in Amadora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,367 in Amadora.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Amadora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Amadora is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$13.53 €11.67

-11.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$45.79 €39.49

3.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$9.19 €7.93

27.86%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.16 €1.86

90.74%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.81 €1.56

-22.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.38 €1.19

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.89 €2.50

11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.86 €2.47

147.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.14 €0.98

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$2.28 €1.97

-5.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.37 €1.18

29.20%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.98 €2.57

-5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.67 €10.06

-21.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.09 €6.11

30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$11.66 €10.06

8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.90 €1.64

55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.50 €1.29

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.63 €1.40

36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$2.68 €2.31

-11.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.64 €1.41

21.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$2.16 €1.86

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.68 €1.45

-26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.11 €0.96

9.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$6.32 €5.45

-27.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$5.85 €5.05

79.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.28 €1.11

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$1.18 €1.02

134.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$2.74 €2.36

-78.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$45.68 €39.39

-34.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$4.01 €3.46

30.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.53 €0.46

588.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$17.24 €14.86

-66.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$2.09 €1.80

-26.32%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$35.3K €30.4K

-35.33%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$39.1K €33.7K

-33.93%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$140 €121

-35.36%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$21.80 €18.80

15.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$46.15 €39.80

-31.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$39.94 €34.44

72.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$28.75 €24.79

2.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$8.07 €6.96

-39.78%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$353 €305

-36.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$13.2K €11.3K

-68.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$80.0 €69.0

-40.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$34.86 €30.06

24.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$112 €96.9

-28.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$81.1 €70.0

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$995 €858

9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$858 €740

-52.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,709 €1,473

15.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$1,384 €1,193

-7.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$3,824 €3,297

5.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$3,397 €2,929

97.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,520 €1,311

-49.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.2

172.62%

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 Amadora: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $995 in Amadora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amadora pays 97% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Amadora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $245 per month, with Amadora 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 Amadora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Amadora. 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 $995 in Amadora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Amadora pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $46.00 in Amadora. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,747 in Amadora, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Amadora. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Amadora, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Amadora are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Amadora. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.