Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Boca del Rio Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Boca del Rio

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,090 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,729 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,369 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Boca del Rio, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Boca del Rio are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Boca del Rio 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.63 MX$184

10.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$39.32 MX$680

6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.70 MX$133

36.49%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.38 MX$58.6

6.21%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.24 MX$21.52

21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.97 MX$16.72

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.40 MX$41.59

23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.81 MX$65.9

15.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.42 MX$24.56

-1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.60 MX$44.96

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.58 MX$27.26

-1.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.34 MX$40.42

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.94 MX$137

4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.64 MX$132

9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.52 MX$182

3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.66 MX$46.03

1.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.43 MX$24.83

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.77 MX$30.59

5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.60 MX$27.64

36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.86 MX$32.21

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.93 MX$33.46

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.25 MX$21.60

-14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.99 MX$17.13

10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.12 MX$71.3

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.90 MX$189

-4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.53 MX$26.52

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.83 MX$48.89

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 MX$10.49

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.60 MX$45.02

18.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.56 MX$26.92

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$8.09 MX$140

-61.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.29 MX$22.38

1.55%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.8K MX$360.3K

43.15%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$22.5K MX$389.9K

3.50%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$56.2 MX$972

44.73%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$22.37 MX$387

0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$27.73 MX$480

8.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$36.31 MX$628

45.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$15.69 MX$271

17.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.56 MX$78.9

7.89%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$210 MX$3,625

-4.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,665 MX$63.4K

41.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$52.2 MX$903

-31.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$39.08 MX$676

2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$88.8 MX$1,537

-10.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$78.3 MX$1,355

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$510 MX$8,829

91.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$390 MX$6,756

20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$935 MX$16.2K

76.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$755 MX$13.1K

59.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,850 MX$32.0K

113.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,056 MX$18.3K

525.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Boca del Rio: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Boca del Rio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Boca del Rio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $248 – making Boca del Rio 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 Boca del Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $1,090 in Boca del Rio – roughly 16% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,635 in Boca del Rio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boca del Rio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,090 in Boca del Rio. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $210 in Boca del Rio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Boca del Rio, where all-in costs run around $1,090, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Boca del Rio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,090 in Boca del Rio to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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