Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Boroko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $868 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
Learn more

Boroko Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $868 in Boroko, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Boroko $868

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,259 in Boroko, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Boroko $1,259

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,649 in Boroko, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Boroko $1,649

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Boroko are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Boroko 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$7.29 PGK 31.67

49.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$34.42 PGK 149

26.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.35 PGK 23.26

120.19%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.48 PGK 10.76

53.63%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.71 PGK 3.06

80.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.64 PGK 2.78

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.58 PGK 11.22

22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.42 PGK 14.85

44.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.50 PGK 6.51

-6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.16 PGK 5.02

91.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.16 PGK 5.03

22.41%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.55 PGK 15.40

-29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$4.98 PGK 21.65

45.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.79 PGK 20.79

60.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$6.61 PGK 28.72

91.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.85 PGK 16.70

-27.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$3.08 PGK 13.38

-55.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.72 PGK 11.80

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$2.70 PGK 11.74

-21.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.82 PGK 12.24

-31.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.84 PGK 3.65

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.12 PGK 4.86

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.42 PGK 1.83

180.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$5.42 PGK 23.53

-20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$4.95 PGK 21.52

101.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.07 PGK 4.67

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.49 PGK 6.48

79.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.42 PGK 1.83

30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$28.88 PGK 125

-7.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$4.40 PGK 19.11

12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.34 PGK 5.83

148.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$10.97 PGK 47.66

-51.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.80 PGK 3.47

80.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$35.7K PGK 155.0K

-42.10%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$17.6K PGK 76.4K

33.32%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$61.6 PGK 267

37.67%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$20.71 PGK 90.0

13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$82.1 PGK 357

-65.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$41.86 PGK 182

36.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$14.29 PGK 62.1

102.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$6.47 PGK 28.09

-20.56%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$333 PGK 1,445

-37.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$2,215 PGK 9,621

77.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$34.50 PGK 150

25.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$12.91 PGK 56.1

220.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$44.28 PGK 192

67.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$26.31 PGK 114

239.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$3,336 PGK 14.5K

-70.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$221 PGK 959

72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$3,257 PGK 14.1K

-47.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$218 PGK 947

393.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$352 PGK 1,530

108.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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 Boroko: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Boroko

$221 25.4% 42% $160

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Boroko

$204 23.5% 19.9% $51

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Boroko

$129 14.9% 36.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Boroko

$164 18.9% 20.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Boroko

$53 6.1% 52.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Boroko

$55 6.3% 18.6% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Boroko

$42 4.8% 17.4% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,336 in Boroko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $34 in Boroko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $204 – making Boroko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇬 Boroko

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

05:44 5:44 AM

15 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.84 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Boroko 14,080 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Boroko

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 Boroko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,302 in Boroko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $3,336 in Boroko.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $333 in Boroko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $868 in Boroko. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $868 in Boroko to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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