Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and the Andaman Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Andaman Islands: $363 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in the Andaman Islands
Learn more

Andaman Islands Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Andaman Islands

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in the Andaman Islands

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 the Andaman Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $363 in the Andaman Islands.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Andaman Islands $363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $567 in the Andaman Islands.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Andaman Islands $567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $772 in the Andaman Islands.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Andaman Islands $772

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 232% more expensive than in the Andaman Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Andaman Islands 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$2.06 ₹195

427.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$6.13 ₹582

621.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$3.69 ₹351

218.70%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.28 ₹122

187.50%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.71 ₹67.2

88.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.20 ₹18.84

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.45 ₹137

111.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.84 ₹269

73.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.95 ₹90.1

54.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.46 ₹43.52

382.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.72 ₹68.2

105.56%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.22 ₹116

104.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$4.42 ₹420

70.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$2.89 ₹275

175.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.98 ₹188

40.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$0.62 ₹59.3

130.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$0.89 ₹84.5

194.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$0.45 ₹42.72

375.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.56 ₹53.2

260.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.40 ₹37.59

397.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.47 ₹44.44

142.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.25 ₹23.77

380.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$5.14 ₹488

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.52 ₹714

33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.65 ₹157

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.60 ₹247

2.31%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.02 ₹477

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.25 ₹23.51

112.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$7.75 ₹736

254.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.81 ₹76.9

504.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.27 ₹25.67

1170.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$1.56 ₹148

244.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.04 ₹98.8

39.42%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$12.5K ₹1.2M

68.89%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$19.3K ₹1.8M

19.35%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$35.05 ₹3,328

143.54%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$3.40 ₹322

590.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$6.41 ₹608

343.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$14.38 ₹1,366

332.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$6.33 ₹601

353.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$2.42 ₹230

110.74%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$47.89 ₹4,547

319.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$1,409 ₹133.8K

180.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$21.96 ₹2,085

102.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$23.14 ₹2,198

78.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$38.59 ₹3,665

88.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$27.98 ₹2,657

220.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$123 ₹11.7K

695.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$73.4 ₹6,967

407.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$261 ₹24.8K

543.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$172 ₹16.4K

535.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$985 ₹93.6K

300.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$523 ₹49.7K

1073.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$282 ₹26.8K

161.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.86

29.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for the Andaman Islands: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Andaman Islands

$73 20.2% 80.3% $299

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Andaman Islands

$105 28.9% 59.4% $154

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Andaman Islands

$59 16.4% 70.3% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Andaman Islands

$45 12.4% 67.3% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Andaman Islands

$50 13.9% 55% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Andaman Islands

$19 5.3% 73.5% $53

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Andaman Islands

$11 3% 78.9% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $123 in the Andaman Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 161% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $6.00 in the Andaman Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $105 per month, with the Andaman Islands cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇳 Andaman Islands

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

17:13 5:13 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

343,125

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Andaman Islands 16,320 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Andaman Islands

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 Andaman Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Andaman Islands is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 161% 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $123 in the Andaman Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in the Andaman Islands runs roughly 255% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $47.89 in the Andaman Islands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $363 in the Andaman Islands versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in the Andaman Islands but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Andaman Islands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Andaman Islands is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Andaman Islands are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Andaman Islands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.