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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,019 in Anapa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,567 in Anapa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,115 in Anapa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Anapa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Anapa 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$8.67 ₽730

33.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$49.89 ₽4,198

-5.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.23 ₽692

44.35%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.34 ₽281

19.16%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.38 ₽116

3.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.57 ₽47.79

43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.31 ₽110

143.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.88 ₽242

135.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.55 ₽131

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.13 ₽95.2

94.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.33 ₽112

28.57%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.72 ₽145

59.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.04 ₽929

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.75 ₽400

89.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.90 ₽833

29.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.24 ₽104

133.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.73 ₽146

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.80 ₽152

19.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.79 ₽150

26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.75 ₽63.2

164.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.55 ₽46.49

261.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.35 ₽114

-8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.56 ₽47.08

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.54 ₽298

28.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.16 ₽603

44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.08 ₽90.6

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.08 ₽175

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.53 ₽44.53

13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.25 ₽190

139.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.31 ₽25.74

1103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$5.10 ₽429

13.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.75 ₽63.4

105.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$23.5K ₽2.0M

-4.25%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$32.5K ₽2.7M

-19.75%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$142 ₽11.9K

-35.59%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$6.90 ₽580

265.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$7.15 ₽601

336.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$34.08 ₽2,867

97.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$23.44 ₽1,972

24.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$2.80 ₽235

73.57%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$313 ₽26.3K

-28.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,158 ₽518.1K

-31.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$67.1 ₽5,649

-29.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$45.76 ₽3,850

-3.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$114 ₽9,624

-29.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$97.4 ₽8,193

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$461 ₽38.8K

130.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$312 ₽26.2K

25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$792 ₽66.6K

171.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$541 ₽45.5K

135.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,248 ₽189.1K

78.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,429 ₽120.3K

354.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-50.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Anapa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $461 in Anapa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Anapa. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $198, with Anapa cheaper for home cooking.

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 Anapa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anapa wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Anapa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,528 in Anapa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 in Anapa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,019 in Anapa – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Anapa versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Anapa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Anapa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Anapa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,019 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Anapa hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Anapa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.