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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,661 in Blonduos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,872 in Blonduos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,280 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,083 in Blonduos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 23% cheaper than Blonduos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Blonduos is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 MX$221

$28.52 ISK 3,497

-54.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 MX$785

$134 ISK 16.4K

-66.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.58 MX$217

$26.25 ISK 3,218

-52.08%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MX$67.6

$6.67 ISK 818

-41.08%

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

$1.38 MX$23.82

$3.31 ISK 405

-58.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 MX$13.00

$3.14 ISK 385

-76.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.4

$13.64 ISK 1,672

-77.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 MX$117

$12.13 ISK 1,488

-43.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.71

$2.09 ISK 256

-20.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$38.19

$4.22 ISK 517

-47.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.24

$3.53 ISK 432

-51.84%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.92

$7.04 ISK 863

-62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$20.54 ISK 2,518

-55.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 MX$154

$24.65 ISK 3,023

-63.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 MX$216

$41.52 ISK 5,090

-69.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MX$51.6

$3.28 ISK 402

-8.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.39

$2.82 ISK 346

-45.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.90

$3.25 ISK 399

-34.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$39.50

$6.27 ISK 768

-63.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.34

$3.94 ISK 484

-47.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.19

$1.62 ISK 199

25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.87

$3.42 ISK 419

-64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$20.32

$1.74 ISK 213

-32.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$79.7

$13.99 ISK 1,716

-66.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 MX$179

$23.21 ISK 2,845

-55.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.38

$3.76 ISK 460

-56.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MX$50.4

$3.29 ISK 403

-10.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.43 MX$490

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 MX$87.3

$6.71 ISK 822

-24.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 MX$63.0

$2.72 ISK 334

34.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 MX$101

$74.4 ISK 9,115

-92.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$27.02

$2.04 ISK 250

-23.04%

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

$22.3K MX$384.2K

$51.1K ISK 6.3M

-56.40%

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

$25.7K MX$443.6K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-51.71%

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

$88.7 MX$1,528

$87.8 ISK 10.8K

1.04%

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

$22.82 MX$393

$33.04 ISK 4,051

-30.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.42 MX$524

$83.1 ISK 10.2K

-63.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MX$1,176

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.60 MX$493

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$85.1

$19.39 ISK 2,377

-74.52%

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

$216 MX$3,725

$1,113 ISK 136.5K

-80.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,146 MX$71.4K

$30.3K ISK 3.7M

-86.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.48 MX$801

$157 ISK 19.2K

-70.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MX$760

$66.6 ISK 8,160

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 MX$1,589

$192 ISK 23.6K

-52.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 MX$1,609

$242 ISK 29.7K

-61.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,705

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$33.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,438 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

9.1

27.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 4, 2026

Last update for Blonduos: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $134 in Blonduos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $614 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Blonduos costs about 31% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,907 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,491 in Blonduos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $134 in Blonduos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 124% more in Blonduos, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Blonduos at $1,661. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blonduos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,271 versus $1,661 in Blonduos. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Blonduos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.