Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Amalfi

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,690 in Amalfi, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Amalfi, Italy
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Amalfi
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,690
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Amalfi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Amalfi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,690 in Amalfi, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Amalfi $1,690

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,640 in Amalfi, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Amalfi $2,640

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,590 in Amalfi, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Amalfi $3,590

Playa del Carmen is about 29% cheaper than Amalfi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Amalfi is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$15.73 €14.04
-30.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$74.3 €66.3
-41.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$9.76 €8.71
20.70%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$2.04 €1.82
86.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$3.16 €2.82
-59.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$1.36 €1.22
-42.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$6.25 €5.57
-49.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$4.58 €4.09
7.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.76 €1.57
-19.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$2.41 €2.15
-7.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$2.86 €2.56
-50.35%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$4.12 €3.67
-38.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$16.12 €14.38
-54.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$13.74 €12.26
-43.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$19.30 €17.22
-34.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$2.60 €2.32
6.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$2.14 €1.91
-35.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$2.35 €2.10
8.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$3.17 €2.83
-33.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$1.90 €1.69
2.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$1.77 €1.58
6.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.43 €1.28
-19.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.53 €0.48
122.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$7.16 €6.39
-39.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$6.96 €6.21
42.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.93 €1.72
-18.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$1.98 €1.77
34.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$1.71 €1.52
-67.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$37.06 €33.06
-28.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$5.09 €4.54
-2.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$1.83 €1.64
81.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$34.64 €30.90
-84.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$2.10 €1.87
-31.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$33.0K €29.4K
-37.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$32.1K €28.7K
-27.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$208 €186
-59.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$11.54 €10.29
102.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$26.86 €23.97
6.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$53.4 €47.65
6.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
$26.97 €24.06
7.19%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$9.92 €8.85
-48.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$603 €538
-65.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$11.2K €9,976
-64.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$102 €91.3
-57.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$39.31 €35.08
5.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$111 €99.2
-33.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$139 €124
-35.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$740 €660
32.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$553 €494
-31.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$1,167 €1,041
46.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$982 €876
9.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$3,151 €2,811
25.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$2,149 €1,918
186.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Amalfi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$1,692 €1,509
-56.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.32
244.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Amalfi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Amalfi
$553 45.2% $172
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Amalfi
$345 35.3% $90
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Amalfi
$238 17.7% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Amalfi
$246 80.1% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Amalfi
$177 58% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Amalfi
$73 8.8% $5.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Amalfi
$58 15.3% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $740 in Amalfi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Amalfi are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $74 in Amalfi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $345 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Amalfi
🕒 Local time
09:31 9:31 AM
15:31 3:31 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
5,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Amalfi 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Amalfi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Amalfi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Amalfi?
Yes – Amalfi is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,536 in Amalfi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Amalfi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Amalfi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $74 in Amalfi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Amalfi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,690 in Amalfi. That makes Playa del Carmen about 29% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Amalfi?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Amalfi at $1,690. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amalfi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Amalfi?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,690 in Amalfi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amalfi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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