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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $968 in Anapa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,550 in Anapa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,132 in Anapa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Anapa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Anapa 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.13 ₽796

18.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$53.3 ₽4,188

-21.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.00 ₽628

34.38%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.55 ₽279

-1.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.28 ₽100

13.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.99 ₽77.8

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.42 ₽112

107.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$5.19 ₽408

-13.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.25 ₽97.8

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.70 ₽54.9

162.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.72 ₽56.9

118.06%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.94 ₽153

29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.91 ₽1,093

-40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.04 ₽396

67.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.70 ₽683

22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.82 ₽143

43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.62 ₽127

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.35 ₽185

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.73 ₽214

-23.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.86 ₽67.7

115.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.74 ₽58.1

193.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.39 ₽110

-25.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.59 ₽46.24

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.26 ₽256

25.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.35 ₽656

21.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.96 ₽75.7

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.85 ₽145

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.53 ₽41.96

-3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.60 ₽205

24.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.27 ₽21.33

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.88 ₽305

-16.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.79 ₽62.4

67.09%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.1K ₽2.7M

-12.92%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$23.9K ₽1.9M

-0.87%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$57.5 ₽4,515

42.70%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.23 ₽490

268.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.13 ₽717

229.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$36.03 ₽2,830

44.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.22 ₽488

-19.94%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$451 ₽35.5K

-56.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,972 ₽547.7K

-23.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$75.9 ₽5,962

-53.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$33.67 ₽2,645

19.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$135 ₽10.6K

-41.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$109 ₽8,557

-18.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$437 ₽34.3K

116.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$301 ₽23.6K

57.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$771 ₽60.6K

113.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$510 ₽40.1K

137.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,473 ₽194.3K

64.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,421 ₽111.7K

355.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

26.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Anapa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $437 in Anapa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $53.0 in Anapa. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $207, 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 30% 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,452 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $437 in Anapa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $968 in Anapa – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $968 in Anapa versus $1,256 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 $968 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.