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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,375 in Andong.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,992 in Andong.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 6% less than in Andong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Andong is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.30 ₩10.8K

63.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.06 ₩53.5K

18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.33 ₩7,903

98.69%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.79 ₩5,617

-4.49%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.57 ₩2,329

-6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.80 ₩1,193

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.23 ₩4,794

-4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.78 ₩7,090

-6.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.17 ₩3,219

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.10 ₩4,595

-39.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$3.12 ₩4,627

-47.76%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.89 ₩4,283

-8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.60 ₩15.7K

-22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.47 ₩12.6K

-2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$27.49 ₩40.8K

-59.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$7.77 ₩11.5K

-65.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$3.11 ₩4,620

-51.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$5.65 ₩8,388

-64.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$5.35 ₩7,936

-61.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$4.03 ₩5,983

-55.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.87 ₩4,259

-24.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.25 ₩3,343

-52.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.15 ₩1,706

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.36 ₩4,986

18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$15.04 ₩22.3K

-32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.79 ₩2,662

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.37 ₩5,003

-25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.12 ₩1,655

-53.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.44 ₩5,098

-8.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.56 ₩834

328.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.64 ₩12.8K

-64.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.16 ₩1,717

9.48%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$28.1K ₩41.7M

9.85%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$24.8K ₩36.7M

-5.85%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$165 ₩245.3K

-50.41%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$34.65 ₩51.4K

-35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$21.97 ₩32.6K

35.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$48.37 ₩71.8K

7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.89 ₩16.2K

-54.36%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$419 ₩622.0K

-52.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$23.4K ₩34.7M

-77.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$57.9 ₩85.8K

-37.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$46.61 ₩69.1K

-14.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$81.2 ₩120.4K

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$119 ₩176.0K

-25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$455 ₩674.4K

111.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$375 ₩556.6K

23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,069 ₩1.6M

49.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$764 ₩1.1M

58.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$9,688 ₩14.4M

-59.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$6,216 ₩9.2M

3.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,695 ₩2.5M

-57.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.14

175.85%

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 Andong: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $455 in Andong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andong pays 135% 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 $36.00 in Andong. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $427, with Playa del Carmen 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 Andong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Andong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Andong earns 135% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 in Andong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $419 in Andong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $36.00 in Andong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,375 in Andong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Andong. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Andong 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Andong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.