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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $775 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,236 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,698 in Assis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 62% more expensive than in Assis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Assis 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$5.31 R$26.88

125.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$27.04 R$137

55.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.26 R$31.68

66.45%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.79 R$9.07

96.09%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.13 R$5.69

34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.63 R$3.17

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.83 R$9.24

66.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.65 R$13.43

64.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.00 R$5.07

42.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.28 R$6.46

42.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.83 R$9.26

-10.93%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.44 R$7.27

76.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$6.65 R$33.66

28.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.85 R$24.51

75.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.97 R$40.29

35.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$2.17 R$11.00

26.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.11 R$5.62

29.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.10 R$5.58

71.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.70 R$8.57

27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.76 R$8.90

1.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.10 R$5.55

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.83 R$4.20

28.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.88 R$4.47

22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$2.16 R$10.92

92.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$5.99 R$30.29

74.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.20 R$6.09

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$1.99 R$10.05

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.93 R$4.72

-45.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

$38.17 R$193

-32.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.10 R$5.55

191.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.71 R$3.59

252.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.38 R$32.26

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.08 R$5.46

16.67%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$20.5K R$103.8K

44.73%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$28.1K R$142.1K

-15.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$59.5 R$301

37.80%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$13.32 R$67.4

70.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$18.53 R$93.7

58.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$22.96 R$116

127.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$21.28 R$108

-13.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$6.40 R$32.37

-22.97%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$266 R$1,346

-24.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$6,550 R$33.1K

-20.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$48.37 R$245

-25.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$41.65 R$211

-3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$77.0 R$389

3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$63.7 R$322

40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$309 R$1,563

207.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$217 R$1,100

113.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$594 R$3,004

174.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$437 R$2,212

172.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,415 R$7,156

178.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,107 R$5,598

480.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$590 R$2,984

11.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Assis: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $309 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 12% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $178 per month, with Assis 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 Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $309 in Assis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $775 in Assis versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assis 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.

Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.