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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $515 in Depok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $794 in Depok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,074 in Depok.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 152% more expensive than Depok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Depok 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.26 Rp 22.5K

830.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$12.07 Rp 215.5K

244.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.44 Rp 61.5K

209.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.48 Rp 26.4K

137.84%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.55 Rp 9,891

174.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.25 Rp 4,441

288.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.82 Rp 50.3K

4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

3.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.17 Rp 20.8K

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

78.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

74.47%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

59.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.28 Rp 112.2K

32.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.13 Rp 55.9K

166.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.96 Rp 142.2K

34.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.41 Rp 43.1K

7.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.33 Rp 23.7K

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.64 Rp 29.2K

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

21.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.65 Rp 47.4K

-17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.90 Rp 16.1K

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.42 Rp 7,529

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.57 Rp 45.8K

58.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$20.89 Rp 373.0K

-50.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.06 Rp 54.6K

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.24 Rp 4,282

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$9.29 Rp 166.0K

184.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

352.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.37 Rp 6,650

572.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.51 Rp 44.8K

29.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

67.95%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$30.2K Rp 538.7M

0.38%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$32.5K Rp 581.1M

-27.99%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$43.79 Rp 782.0K

89.24%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$4.67 Rp 83.3K

375.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$26.87 Rp 479.9K

9.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$9.49 Rp 169.5K

444.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.25 Rp 75.9K

331.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.01 Rp 53.7K

68.44%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$92.2 Rp 1.6M

117.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,508 Rp 134.1M

-30.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$42.10 Rp 751.8K

-12.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$31.16 Rp 556.5K

27.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$59.9 Rp 1.1M

31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$118 Rp 2.1M

723.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$46.93 Rp 838.0K

896.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$182 Rp 3.2M

803.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$122 Rp 2.2M

899.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$842 Rp 15.0M

368.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$706 Rp 12.6M

820.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$359 Rp 6.4M

84.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Depok: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $118 in Depok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 85% 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 $12.00 in Depok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $202 per month, with Depok 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 Depok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Depok wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Depok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 85% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $118 in Depok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Depok – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $515 in Depok versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Depok but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Depok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Depok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $515 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Depok hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Depok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.