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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,483 in Avila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,230 in Avila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,976 in Avila.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 10% less than in Avila, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Avila is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$17.10 €14.63

-23.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$63.0 €53.9

-26.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$11.40 €9.75

10.44%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.21 €1.89

81.00%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$3.30 €2.83

-56.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.97 €1.69

-58.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$3.44 €2.94

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$4.67 €4.00

46.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.22 €1.04

40.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.78 €0.67

184.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.52 €1.30

13.16%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.84 €2.43

-4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$26.59 €22.74

-64.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.39 €3.75

101.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$10.23 €8.75

24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.81 €2.41

11.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.30 €1.12

19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.26 €1.93

-4.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$4.92 €4.21

-52.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.18 €1.87

-7.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.97 €1.69

1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.24 €1.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.55 €0.47

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$6.33 €5.41

-26.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$3.10 €2.65

237.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.04 €0.89

51.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.29 €1.96

27.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$1.35 €1.16

-58.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$34.85 €29.81

-14.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$4.58 €3.92

16.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.29 €1.96

62.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$23.54 €20.14

-75.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.75 €1.50

-11.43%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$36.0K €30.8K

-37.78%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$29.8K €25.5K

-14.15%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$79.6 €68.1

12.15%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$17.19 €14.70

35.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$26.52 €22.68

19.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$42.23 €36.13

62.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$16.34 €13.98

79.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$9.25 €7.91

-45.30%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$185 €158

20.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$6,192 €5,297

-30.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$85.5 €73.1

-45.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$36.74 €31.43

20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$80.9 €69.2

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$99.5 €85.1

-7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$818 €700

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$614 €525

-35.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,104 €944

80.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$858 €734

51.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,420 €2,070

66.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,819 €1,556

264.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$2,623 €2,243

-71.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

3.1

274.19%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Avila: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $818 in Avila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Avila pays 251% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $63.0 in Avila. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $263, with Avila 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 Avila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Avila. 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, salaries run 251% lower in Avila. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $818 in Avila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,483 in Avila – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 17% less than in Avila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,483 in Avila, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Avila. 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 $1,330 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 Avila 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 12% less than in Avila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.