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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $687 in Anapolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,154 in Anapolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,621 in Anapolis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 84% more expensive than in Anapolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Anapolis 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.68 R$29.26

104.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$39.33 R$203

19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.86 R$35.36

73.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.47 R$12.70

61.13%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.42 R$7.31

0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.71 R$3.64

15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.31 R$11.90

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.98 R$15.38

127.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.07 R$5.50

57.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.00 R$10.29

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.27 R$6.57

34.65%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.12 R$10.91

29.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.90 R$45.83

7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.98 R$20.51

126.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.90 R$35.57

85.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.09 R$10.75

38.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.10 R$5.68

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.19 R$6.12

80.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.05 R$5.43

115.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.15 R$5.95

72.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.02 R$5.24

95.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.69 R$3.58

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.99 R$5.11

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.97 R$10.15

130.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.99 R$30.84

73.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.23 R$6.35

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.41 R$12.43

19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.08 R$5.56

399.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.90 R$4.62

314.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$6.22 R$32.05

-7.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.25 R$6.46

23.20%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.3K R$119.9K

-3.14%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$31.8K R$163.7K

-17.98%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$58.1 R$299

57.33%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.95 R$51.3

153.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$19.38 R$99.9

61.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$23.00 R$118

192.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.85 R$30.15

-16.92%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$816 R$4,204

-72.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$16.4K R$84.7K

-74.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$51.9 R$268

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$39.56 R$204

11.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$83.8 R$432

-4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$38.32 R$197

141.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$231 R$1,189

360.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$158 R$816

146.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$525 R$2,704

309.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$354 R$1,823

259.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,239 R$6,384

222.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$948 R$4,883

586.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$518 R$2,669

46.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.12

-5.53%

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 Anapolis: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $231 in Anapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 46% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Anapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $182 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 84% 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.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $231 in Anapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 $687 in Anapolis – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $687 in Anapolis versus $1,266 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 $687 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 84% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.