Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,438 in Boquete, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Boquete outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
Learn more

Boquete Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Boquete actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,438 in Boquete.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Boquete $1,438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,232 in Boquete.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Boquete $2,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,026 in Boquete.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Boquete $3,026

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 16% less than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Boquete is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.34 PAB 6.34

72.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$40.22 PAB 40.22

7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.31 PAB 7.31

61.15%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$3.73 PAB 3.73

2.14%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.34 PAB 1.34

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.29 PAB 2.29

38.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$5.11 PAB 5.11

-3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-22.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$2.14 PAB 2.14

3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.15 PAB 2.15

-33.95%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.51 PAB 2.51

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$9.32 PAB 9.32

-22.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$7.49 PAB 7.49

2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$15.36 PAB 15.36

-17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.49 PAB 4.49

-38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$0.99 PAB 0.99

38.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$4.28 PAB 4.28

-40.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.19 PAB 2.19

-3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.15 PAB 2.15

-9.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.26 PAB 2.26

-16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.20 PAB 2.20

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.71 PAB 1.71

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$5.02 PAB 5.02

-14.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$8.13 PAB 8.13

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.15 PAB 1.15

37.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.61 PAB 2.61

2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$1.42 PAB 1.42

-61.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$24.84 PAB 24.84

7.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.02 PAB 1.02

387.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$2.05 PAB 2.05

62.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$29.44 PAB 29.44

-81.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.14 PAB 1.14

26.32%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$26.0K PAB 26.0K

-20.46%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$22.4K PAB 22.4K

4.67%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$59.2 PAB 59.2

43.27%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$26.16 PAB 26.16

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$43.16 PAB 43.16

-33.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$82.1 PAB 82.1

-30.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$17.19 PAB 17.19

68.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$6.63 PAB 6.63

-22.47%

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$5,932 PAB 5,932

-33.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$24.90 PAB 24.90

74.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$25.18 PAB 25.18

64.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$44.37 PAB 44.37

67.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$840 PAB 840

16.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$687 PAB 687

-44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,540 PAB 1,540

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,302 PAB 1,302

-17.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,198 PAB 1,198

229.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,158 PAB 1,158

431.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$797 PAB 797

-7.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.5

76.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Boquete

$687 47.8% 80.3% $306

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Boquete

$294 20.4% 15.4% $39

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Boquete

$149 10.4% 26.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Boquete

$129 8.9% 6.1% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Boquete

$43 * 3% 62% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Boquete

$95 6.6% 41.6% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 17.2% $8.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $840 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boquete pays 8% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $40 in Boquete. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $294, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

7,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Boquete 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Boquete

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 Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $840 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Boquete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,438 in Boquete – Playa del Carmen is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Boquete on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.