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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $730 in Anapolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,200 in Anapolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Anapolis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 76% more expensive than Anapolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Anapolis 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.56 R$27.74

114.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$35.46 R$177

20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.29 R$26.40

100.19%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.66 R$8.30

118.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.18 R$5.87

24.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.88 R$4.37

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.84 R$9.18

67.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.30 R$11.49

93.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.99 R$4.92

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.68 R$8.36

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.40 R$7.00

16.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.91 R$9.55

38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.93 R$39.58

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.44 R$17.18

140.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.76 R$33.74

64.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.88 R$9.37

40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.01 R$5.03

48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.05 R$5.24

89.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.01 R$5.03

105.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.23 R$6.14

45.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.91 R$4.55

139.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.64 R$3.21

68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.67 R$3.35

55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.79 R$8.92

121.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.86 R$29.26

74.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.06 R$5.30

63.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.35 R$11.72

6.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.86 R$4.29

-39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.02 R$190

-29.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.94 R$4.70

234.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.76 R$3.77

215.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.71 R$28.50

-45.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.08 R$5.41

17.59%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$25.2K R$125.8K

22.47%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.1K R$145.0K

-19.75%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$53.3 R$266

53.78%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.11 R$45.47

146.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$17.98 R$89.7

64.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.14 R$110

134.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.89 R$109

-14.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.42 R$27.06

-8.30%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$483 R$2,412

-59.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$14.9K R$74.5K

-64.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$53.0 R$265

-31.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$35.90 R$179

11.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$67.7 R$338

18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$35.61 R$178

149.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$315 R$1,570

206.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$217 R$1,082

114.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$584 R$2,913

173.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$430 R$2,147

181.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,273 R$6,352

209.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$971 R$4,846

563.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$534 R$2,665

34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.68

6.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Anapolis: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Anapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Anapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $164 per month, with Anapolis cheaper across the board.

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 Anapolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anapolis wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Anapolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 35% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Anapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $730 in Anapolis – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Anapolis runs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $730 in Anapolis versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Anapolis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Anapolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Anapolis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $730 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Anapolis hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Anapolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.