Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Blonduos

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,714 in Blonduos, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. The total is higher in Blonduos despite lower rent and utilities.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Blonduos, Iceland
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Blonduos
🇮🇸 Iceland
$1,714
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Blonduos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Blonduos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,714 in Blonduos, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Blonduos $1,714

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,916 in Blonduos, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Blonduos $2,916

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,117 in Blonduos, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Blonduos $4,117

Playa del Carmen is about 30% cheaper than Blonduos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Blonduos is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$30.58 ISK 3,715
-65.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$122 ISK 14.9K
-64.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$26.51 ISK 3,222
-55.53%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$6.91 ISK 840
-45.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$3.23 ISK 392
-59.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$3.09 ISK 376
-73.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$14.10 ISK 1,713
-77.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$12.45 ISK 1,513
-60.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$2.02 ISK 246
-30.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$4.17 ISK 506
-47.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$3.58 ISK 435
-58.94%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$7.16 ISK 870
-65.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$22.08 ISK 2,683
-66.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$24.29 ISK 2,951
-67.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$41.68 ISK 5,064
-69.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$3.38 ISK 411
-14.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$2.84 ISK 345
-51.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$3.19 ISK 388
-21.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$6.33 ISK 769
-67.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$3.93 ISK 478
-48.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$1.65 ISK 200
15.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$3.65 ISK 443
-68.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$1.75 ISK 213
-29.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$13.71 ISK 1,666
-68.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$24.14 ISK 2,933
-59.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$3.53 ISK 429
-54.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$3.38 ISK 410
-18.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$6.80 ISK 827
-30.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$2.79 ISK 339
16.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$81.5 ISK 9,906
-93.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$2.00 ISK 243
-23.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$68.0K ISK 8.3M
-68.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$55.4K ISK 6.7M
-58.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$96.2 ISK 11.7K
-13.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$32.29 ISK 3,923
-28.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
-68.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$19.57 ISK 2,378
-74.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$1,187 ISK 144.2K
-82.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
$25.6K ISK 3.1M
-79.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$147 ISK 17.9K
-70.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$66.9 ISK 8,132
-36.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$185 ISK 22.5K
-60.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$249 ISK 30.2K
-64.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Blonduos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
8.81
29.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Blonduos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Blonduos
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Blonduos
$619 141% $362
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Blonduos
$528 164% $327
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Blonduos
$216 60.6% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Blonduos
$292 162% $180
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Blonduos
$39 * 41.1% $27
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Blonduos
$21 * 58.8% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Blonduos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $619 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇸 Blonduos
🕒 Local time
10:44 10:44 AM
15:44 3:44 PM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
900
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Blonduos 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Blonduos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Blonduos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Blonduos?
Blonduos costs about 43% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Blonduos?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,572 in Blonduos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Blonduos?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $122 in Blonduos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Blonduos?
Groceries cost about 141% more in Blonduos, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Blonduos?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Blonduos at $1,714. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blonduos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Blonduos?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,714 in Blonduos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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