Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Carlow

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,548 in Carlow, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Carlow $2,548

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,814 in Carlow, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Carlow $3,814

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,081 in Carlow, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Carlow $5,081

Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper than Carlow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Carlow is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$21.01 €18.69

-48.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$90.7 €80.7

-51.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$13.10 €11.65

-10.23%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.25 €3.78

-13.41%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.67 €2.37

-49.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$2.22 €1.97

-63.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$7.41 €6.59

-58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$6.54 €5.82

-24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.64 €1.46

-10.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.99 €1.77

11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.91 €1.69

-22.51%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$4.35 €3.87

-42.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$13.47 €11.98

-44.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$12.81 €11.39

-37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$14.43 €12.84

-12.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.19 €2.84

-12.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$3.00 €2.67

-52.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.33 €2.96

-21.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.29 €2.92

-34.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.37 €2.11

-14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.76 €1.57

13.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.44 €1.28

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.33 €1.19

-9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$18.84 €16.76

-77.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$13.53 €12.04

-25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$4.27 €3.80

-63.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.43 €3.05

-22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.25 €1.11

-57.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$5.11 €4.55

-4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.54 €1.37

122.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$32.43 €28.85

-83.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$2.09 €1.86

-30.62%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$38.6K €34.4K

-45.23%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$38.1K €33.9K

-39.61%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$243 €216

-64.86%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$22.26 €19.80

5.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$56.4 €50.2

-49.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$78.8 €70.1

-21.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$56.1 €49.93

-48.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$13.59 €12.09

-62.47%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,052 €936

-80.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$5,449 €4,847

-27.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$95.3 €84.8

-53.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$42.63 €37.92

-3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$101 €89.8

-27.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$102 €90.3

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,441 €1,282

-32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,261 €1,121

-70.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,596 €2,310

-35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,152 €1,914

-49.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$5,664 €5,038

-30.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$6,675 €5,937

-8.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$2,351 €2,091

-68.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

186.25%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5% 238% $888

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Carlow

$361 14.2% 39.5% $102

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Carlow

$328 12.9% 63.9% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Carlow

$322 12.6% 134% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Carlow

$153 6% 37.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Carlow

$106 4.2% 46.4% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Carlow

$18 * 0.7% 65.5% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,441 in Carlow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 219% higher in Carlow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $91.0 in Carlow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $361 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇪 Carlow

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

12:15 12:15 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

27,351

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Carlow 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Carlow

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 Carlow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,822 in Carlow. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,548 in Carlow. That's a gap of about 112%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,052 in Carlow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Carlow at $2,548. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.