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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,177 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,095 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,014 in Carlton.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Carlton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Carlton is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$19.71 A$28.24

-39.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$64.4 A$92.3

-35.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$9.30 A$13.32

15.59%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.70 A$3.87

29.63%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$2.38 A$3.41

-39.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.94 A$2.78

-54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$6.35 A$9.10

-53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$6.15 A$8.81

-26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.12 A$1.60

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.72 A$2.46

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.57 A$2.25

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$3.13 A$4.48

-19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$9.22 A$13.20

-10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$9.35 A$13.40

-9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$14.62 A$20.94

-26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.19 A$4.58

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.63 A$3.77

-45.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$2.88 A$4.13

-31.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$3.92 A$5.62

-46.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.30 A$3.30

-19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.10 A$3.02

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$2.20 A$3.15

-53.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.33 A$1.91

-19.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$28.12 A$40.29

-85.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$10.18 A$14.58

-0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$4.61 A$6.60

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$5.07 A$7.27

-50.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$2.91 A$4.17

-82.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$51.1 A$73.2

-49.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$3.51 A$5.03

-7.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.31 A$1.88

83.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$24.61 A$35.26

-86.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.14 A$1.63

15.79%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$23.3K A$33.4K

27.50%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$13.0K A$18.6K

81.84%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$73.8 A$106

11.06%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$21.02 A$30.12

9.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$42.95 A$61.5

-29.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$45.41 A$65.1

14.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$18.14 A$25.98

2.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$11.61 A$16.64

-57.11%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$1,191 A$1,707

-83.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$11.4K A$16.3K

-53.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$68.4 A$98.0

-47.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$53.0 A$76.0

-23.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$74.9 A$107

5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$105 A$150

-15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$1,295 A$1,855

-26.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$1,156 A$1,656

-59.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,954 A$2,800

-15.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,613 A$2,311

-24.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$7,119 A$10.2K

-43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$5,704 A$8,172

13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$5,788 A$8,293

-88.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.19

84.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Carlton: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $1,295 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 785% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $64.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $318 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Carlton differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $2,177 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 785% lower in Carlton. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,295 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,191 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,177 in Carlton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Carlton. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Carlton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.