Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Amol

For one person, living is cheaper in Amol: $543 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Amol
Learn more

Amol Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Amol

🇮🇷 Iran

$543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Amol actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $543 in Amol.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Amol $543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $857 in Amol.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Amol $857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,171 in Amol.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Amol $1,171

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 122% more expensive than in Amol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Amol 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.05 $3.05

258.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$15.98 $15.98

171.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.96 $3.96

197.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.33 $1.33

186.47%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.46 $0.46

178.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.86 $0.86

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.60 $0.60

135.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.61 $0.61

263.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.02 $2.02

-29.70%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.24 $1.24

103.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$4.32 $4.32

68.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.47 $3.47

121.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$10.14 $10.14

25.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.37 $1.37

102.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.81 $1.81

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.73 $0.73

249.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.63 $0.63

236.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.60 $0.60

223.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.47 $0.47

302.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.56 $0.56

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.30 $0.30

293.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 $1.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$1.03 $1.03

317.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.14 $0.14

292.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$9.37 $9.37

184.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.48 $0.48

935.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.31 $0.31

974.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.92 $2.92

83.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.10 $0.10

1340.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$50.8K $50.8K

-59.34%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$45.7K $45.7K

-48.60%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$13.23 $13.23

540.89%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$1.58 $1.58

1381.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$3.94 $3.94

627.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$16.32 $16.32

249.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$15.69 $15.69

84.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$1.47 $1.47

249.66%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$108 $108

91.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$2,464 $2,464

59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$19.71 $19.71

119.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$20.58 $20.58

101.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$118 $118

-37.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$73.5 $73.5

21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$346 $346

182.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$213 $213

78.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$789 $789

116.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$357 $357

201.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$913 $913

331.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$417 $417

1374.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$222 $222

230.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

24.79

-53.81%

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 Amol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Amol

$213 39.2% 44.1% $168

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Amol

$118 21.8% 53.6% $136

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Amol

$58 10.6% 71.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Amol

$19 3.5% 86.3% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Amol

$104 19.2% 6.7% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Amol

$19 3.6% 71.4% $48

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Amol

$12 2.2% 76.3% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $346 in Amol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $16 in Amol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $118 per month, with Amol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Amol

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

225,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Amol 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Amol

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 Amol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $543 in Amol, so Amol is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $346 in Amol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $543 in Amol – Amol is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Amol runs roughly 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $543 in Amol versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Amol but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Amol 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 Amol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.