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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $491 in Ayacucho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $793 in Ayacucho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,095 in Ayacucho.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 163% more expensive than in Ayacucho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ayacucho 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$1.76 PEN 5.90

565.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$1.76 PEN 5.89

132.39%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.86 PEN 2.89

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.31 PEN 1.05

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$1.50 PEN 5.04

123.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.39 PEN 14.72

57.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$0.61 PEN 2.06

190.16%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.73 PEN 5.81

57.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$2.92 PEN 9.78

214.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.41 PEN 14.78

102.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$5.91 PEN 19.80

113.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.22 PEN 4.08

147.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$0.61 PEN 2.05

157.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$0.60 PEN 2.02

255.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$0.56 PEN 1.88

303.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$0.29 PEN 0.97

589.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$0.31 PEN 1.04

564.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.31 PEN 1.06

280.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.85 PEN 2.86

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$5.77 PEN 19.36

85.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$2.98 PEN 10.01

-45.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$4.45 PEN 14.91

-35.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.60 PEN 2.02

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$36.11 PEN 121

-17.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$2.32 PEN 7.80

134.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.21 PEN 4.06

205.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$4.58 PEN 15.35

30.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.79 PEN 6.01

-13.41%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$10.5K PEN 35.1K

113.40%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$12.6K PEN 42.1K

106.51%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.94 PEN 40.05

109.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$17.97 PEN 60.3

75.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$15.11 PEN 50.7

348.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$30.03 PEN 101

-3.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$4.35 PEN 14.57

16.09%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$73.7 PEN 247

205.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$17.68 PEN 59.3

168.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$26.24 PEN 88.0

71.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$103 PEN 344

-20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$105 PEN 354

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$353 PEN 1,184

202.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$89.4 PEN 300

353.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$880 PEN 2,951

119.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$234 PEN 784

456.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$1,981 PEN 6,644

101.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,755 PEN 5,885

277.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$490 PEN 1,643

52.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $353 in Ayacucho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 in Ayacucho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.7 in Ayacucho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ayacucho runs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $491 in Ayacucho versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ayacucho but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ayacucho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ayacucho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $491 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ayacucho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ayacucho 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 Ayacucho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.