Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,400 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ankara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,400 in Ankara, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Ankara $1,400

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,082 in Ankara, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Ankara $2,082

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,763 in Ankara, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Ankara $2,763

Playa del Carmen is about 13% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Ankara is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$10.32 ₺509

6.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$42.03 ₺2,070

6.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$9.72 ₺479

22.63%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.99 ₺196

-4.76%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$1.68 ₺82.5

-22.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.75 ₺37.15

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$5.03 ₺248

-36.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$6.04 ₺297

-17.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.17 ₺57.5

24.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$1.02 ₺50.0

128.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$2.37 ₺117

-39.24%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$2.64 ₺130

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$10.31 ₺508

-25.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$5.54 ₺273

42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$20.01 ₺986

-36.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$1.95 ₺96.1

49.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.29 ₺113

-37.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$1.33 ₺65.3

93.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$1.76 ₺86.7

21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$0.68 ₺33.50

186.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$0.54 ₺26.83

259.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$1.02 ₺50.4

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.67 ₺33.14

82.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$2.29 ₺113

91.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$12.47 ₺615

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$2.22 ₺109

-30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$3.21 ₺158

-15.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.69 ₺33.99

-24.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$12.31 ₺607

122.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$1.29 ₺63.7

280.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.85 ₺41.68

314.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$6.66 ₺328

-14.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.38 ₺68.1

11.59%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$48.9K ₺2.4M

-56.53%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$41.2K ₺2.0M

-40.53%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$95.4 ₺4,699

-12.36%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$10.92 ₺538

120.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$17.83 ₺878

64.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$72.4 ₺3,568

-10.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$15.15 ₺746

94.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$8.05 ₺397

-36.77%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$1,035 ₺51.0K

-79.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$19.9K ₺981.9K

-79.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$53.7 ₺2,645

-17.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$47.68 ₺2,349

-11.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$104 ₺5,107

-27.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$95.6 ₺4,709

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$756 ₺37.2K

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$577 ₺28.4K

-33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,162 ₺57.3K

47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$891 ₺43.9K

24.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$1,671 ₺82.3K

140.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$1,171 ₺57.7K

433.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$1,101 ₺54.2K

-31.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.57

-73.72%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Ankara

$577 41% 49.7% $191

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Ankara

$256 18.2% 1.7% $4.4

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Ankara

$207 14.7% 1.3% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Ankara

$124 8.8% 9.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Ankara

$135 9.6% 18.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Ankara

$89 6.3% 18% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Ankara

$21 1.5% 60.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $756 in Ankara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in Ankara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $256 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

13:29 1:29 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ankara 10,850 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ankara

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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 15% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,100 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,035 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Ankara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Ankara at $1,400. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,215 versus $1,400 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.