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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $539 in Depok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $811 in Depok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,082 in Depok.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 135% more expensive than in Depok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Depok 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$1.44 Rp 25.6K

705.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$14.16 Rp 251.3K

232.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

245.35%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.50 Rp 26.7K

165.33%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.45 Rp 8,012

217.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.26 Rp 4,638

215.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.71 Rp 48.2K

17.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.19 Rp 56.7K

112.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.27 Rp 22.5K

32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.04 Rp 18.4K

111.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

96.55%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.54 Rp 27.3K

77.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$7.37 Rp 130.8K

29.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.89 Rp 51.3K

211.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$7.81 Rp 138.6K

64.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.24 Rp 39.8K

29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.55 Rp 27.6K

38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.95 Rp 16.9K

137.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.06 Rp 18.9K

86.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.00 Rp 35.5K

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.65 Rp 11.5K

89.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.44 Rp 7,724

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.77 Rp 49.2K

64.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$21.29 Rp 377.9K

-51.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.86 Rp 33.1K

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.13 Rp 55.5K

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.22 Rp 3,890

172.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$13.18 Rp 233.8K

118.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.86 Rp 15.3K

526.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.35 Rp 6,218

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

153.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.79 Rp 14.1K

94.94%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.5K Rp 380.8M

5.09%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$29.4K Rp 521.2M

-11.27%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$34.60 Rp 614.1K

164.10%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$4.34 Rp 77.1K

480.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$19.30 Rp 342.5K

61.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$3.35 Rp 59.5K

1905.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

416.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$2.90 Rp 51.4K

67.59%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$93.8 Rp 1.7M

138.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$8,237 Rp 146.2M

-48.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$45.47 Rp 807.0K

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$29.02 Rp 515.1K

52.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$73.2 Rp 1.3M

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

27.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$214 Rp 3.8M

397.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$107 Rp 1.9M

264.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$258 Rp 4.6M

732.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$143 Rp 2.5M

787.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$230 Rp 4.1M

229.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.46

21.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Depok: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $214 in Depok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 230% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Depok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $195 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 135% 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.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $214 in Depok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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 $14.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $539 in Depok versus $1,266 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 $539 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 135% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.