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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $978 in Anapa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,560 in Anapa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,142 in Anapa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 33% more expensive than Anapa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Anapa 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.98 ₽728

17.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$52.2 ₽3,812

-20.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.20 ₽599

29.76%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.59 ₽262

-1.95%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.29 ₽94.1

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.01 ₽73.6

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.38 ₽101

113.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.93 ₽360

-9.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.25 ₽91.0

10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.69 ₽50.6

173.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.79 ₽57.3

107.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.94 ₽142

29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.79 ₽1,007

-39.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.09 ₽371

63.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.86 ₽647

21.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.75 ₽128

48.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.69 ₽123

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.38 ₽174

-20.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.75 ₽200

-24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.87 ₽63.8

104.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.78 ₽57.0

180.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.42 ₽104

-26.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.59 ₽43.01

83.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.32 ₽242

22.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.79 ₽641

17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.01 ₽73.8

69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.94 ₽141

32.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.49 ₽35.62

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.50 ₽183

30.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.27 ₽19.75

822.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.83 ₽280

-15.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.77 ₽56.4

70.13%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.1K ₽2.5M

-11.23%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$24.3K ₽1.8M

-3.69%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$56.4 ₽4,113

47.04%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.39 ₽466

247.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$8.64 ₽630

239.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$36.00 ₽2,627

43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.40 ₽467

-20.78%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$445 ₽32.5K

-54.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,005 ₽511.3K

-25.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$76.0 ₽5,547

-51.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.04 ₽2,485

16.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$134 ₽9,766

-41.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$108 ₽7,874

-19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$441 ₽32.2K

120.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$307 ₽22.4K

52.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$767 ₽55.9K

114.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$499 ₽36.4K

144.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,204 ₽160.8K

79.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,734 ₽126.6K

274.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Anapa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $441 in Anapa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Anapa. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $209, 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 33% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,468 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Anapa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $978 in Anapa – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Anapa versus $1,297 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 $978 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 33% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.