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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $793 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,236 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,679 in Assis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than Assis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Assis 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$5.27 R$26.20

121.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$27.15 R$135

54.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.48 R$32.20

60.49%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.78 R$8.87

102.81%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.11 R$5.53

32.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.63 R$3.11

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.85 R$9.18

63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.73 R$13.58

63.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.92 R$4.59

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.22 R$6.08

50.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.85 R$9.18

-12.97%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.39 R$6.90

84.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$6.96 R$34.58

21.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.64 R$23.05

82.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$8.08 R$40.14

36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.22 R$11.02

22.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.07 R$5.30

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.10 R$5.47

78.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.74 R$8.63

21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.85 R$9.20

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.09 R$5.43

99.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.80 R$3.96

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.93 R$4.63

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.10 R$10.42

99.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$6.12 R$30.41

67.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.25 R$6.23

33.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.09 R$10.38

19.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.87 R$4.31

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.16 R$190

-31.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.10 R$5.46

181.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.69 R$3.45

256.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.23 R$30.97

-47.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.03 R$5.14

22.33%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$20.4K R$101.5K

47.77%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$27.6K R$137.3K

-15.15%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$60.1 R$299

39.84%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$13.53 R$67.2

64.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$18.54 R$92.1

59.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.40 R$111

135.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.87 R$109

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.24 R$31.01

-20.67%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$273 R$1,358

-27.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,450 R$32.1K

-17.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$49.24 R$245

-26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$42.20 R$210

-5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$77.2 R$383

2.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$63.4 R$315

36.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$312 R$1,548

213.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$213 R$1,056

121.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$584 R$2,904

173.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$433 R$2,150

180.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,761 R$8,754

128.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,103 R$5,481

496.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$591 R$2,935

20.93%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Assis: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $312 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 21% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $27 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 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 21% more on average, 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $312 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $793 in Assis versus $1,261 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.