Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ancona

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,617 in Ancona, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ancona, Italy
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Ancona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,617
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ancona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ancona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,617 in Ancona, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Ancona $1,617

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,400 in Ancona, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Ancona $2,400

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,184 in Ancona, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Ancona $3,184

Playa del Carmen is about 26% cheaper than Ancona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Ancona is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$16.45 €14.64
-35.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$77.9 €69.4
-43.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$11.07 €9.86
6.50%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$1.97 €1.76
92.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$2.53 €2.26
-48.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$1.23 €1.09
-32.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$5.75 €5.12
-45.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$5.69 €5.07
-13.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$1.18 €1.05
19.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$2.23 €1.98
-1.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$2.13 €1.90
-30.99%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$2.80 €2.49
-10.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$13.57 €12.09
-46.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$11.35 €10.11
-29.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$17.12 €15.24
-24.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$2.28 €2.03
27.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$1.55 €1.38
-10.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$2.50 €2.22
-0.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$2.88 €2.57
-29.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$1.54 €1.37
31.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$1.80 €1.60
5.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$1.44 €1.28
-20.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$0.37 €0.33
235.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$6.82 €6.08
-37.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$5.42 €4.83
81.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$1.61 €1.44
-1.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$2.02 €1.80
36.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
$1.80 €1.61
-71.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
$39.78 €35.42
-31.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$5.64 €5.02
-15.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$1.85 €1.64
75.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$23.79 €21.18
-77.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$1.94 €1.73
-21.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$35.5K €31.6K
-40.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$37.9K €33.7K
-38.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$281 €250
-70.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$13.76 €12.25
68.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$36.34 €32.36
-24.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
$52.7 €46.90
7.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
$19.90 €17.72
41.66%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$11.29 €10.05
-55.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$151 €135
36.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$88.0 €78.4
-50.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$30.36 €27.03
40.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$90.2 €80.3
-19.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$98.8 €87.9
-10.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$584 €520
70.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
$478 €425
-19.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
$933 €830
79.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$670 €596
61.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
$2,629 €2,340
48.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
$1,726 €1,537
255.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ancona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$1,843 €1,641
-54.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3
281.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ancona: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Ancona
$478 24.9% $95
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Ancona
$289 12.3% $32
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Ancona
$244 21.6% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Ancona
$331 146% $197
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Ancona
$138 24.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Ancona
$75 13.3% $8.8
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Ancona
$62 22.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $584 in Ancona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ancona are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $78 in Ancona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $289 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Ancona
🕒 Local time
15:13 3:13 PM
21:13 9:13 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
100,861
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.99 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Ancona 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Ancona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ancona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Ancona?
Yes – Ancona is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,425 in Ancona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ancona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $584 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 31% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $151 in Ancona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Ancona?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Ancona at $1,617. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ancona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Ancona?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,617 in Ancona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ancona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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