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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $974 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,397 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,820 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than Ayutuxtepeque, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ayutuxtepeque 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.11 $8.11

47.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$29.68 $29.68

44.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.13 $5.13

106.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.30 $3.30

9.70%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.63 $0.63

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.52 $0.52

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.34 $1.34

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.02 $3.02

47.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.38 $1.38

3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.47 $1.47

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.02 $1.02

59.80%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.33 $2.33

13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.06 $7.06

16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.45 $5.45

52.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.08 $9.08

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.23 $3.23

-17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.67 $1.67

-10.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.19 $2.19

-9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.73 $2.73

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.69 $1.69

5.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.20 $2.20

-0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.64 $0.64

68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.07 $1.07

-2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.03 $4.03

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.95 $5.95

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.53 $1.53

13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.53 $2.53

-1.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.36 $0.36

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$5.45 $5.45

-42.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$3.02 $3.02

-20.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$20.16 $20.16

-84.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.00 $1.00

27.00%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

19.04%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.5K $28.5K

-18.20%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$94.2 $94.2

-12.93%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$18.80 $18.80

19.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$35.23 $35.23

-15.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$15.07 $15.07

244.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.30 $5.30

-6.23%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$149 $149

32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,049 $3,049

72.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$24.98 $24.98

45.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$29.97 $29.97

33.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$115 $115

-30.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$74.9 $74.9

18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$148 $148

552.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$302 $302

53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$393 $393

305.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$403 $403

200.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$423 $423

70.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.58

33.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ayutuxtepeque: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $148 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 70% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Ayutuxtepeque for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $216 per month, with Ayutuxtepeque 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 Ayutuxtepeque: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayutuxtepeque wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ayutuxtepeque the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 70% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $148 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $149 in Ayutuxtepeque. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ayutuxtepeque – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $974 in Ayutuxtepeque versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ayutuxtepeque but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ayutuxtepeque the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ayutuxtepeque delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $974 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ayutuxtepeque hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ayutuxtepeque gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.