Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Diego Martin Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Diego Martin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,364 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,321 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,278 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 3% cheaper than Diego Martin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 3% below the global median, while Diego Martin is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$10.35 TTD 69.5

25.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$88.3 TTD 593

-47.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.65 TTD 58.1

45.55%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$3.74 TTD 25.10

6.95%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.18 TTD 7.93

20.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.76 TTD 5.09

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.18 TTD 14.65

39.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.98 TTD 19.98

128.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.48 TTD 16.63

-31.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.25 TTD 15.09

-1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.90 TTD 19.48

-40.69%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$4.42 TTD 29.69

-38.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$6.52 TTD 43.78

43.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$10.22 TTD 68.7

-13.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$9.16 TTD 61.5

39.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$5.66 TTD 37.97

-44.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.54 TTD 17.06

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$3.64 TTD 24.41

-40.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$4.37 TTD 29.32

-46.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.76 TTD 5.09

165.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.72 TTD 4.80

176.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.44 TTD 9.68

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.21 TTD 8.15

-1.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$5.55 TTD 37.26

-16.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$17.91 TTD 120

-41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.50 TTD 10.07

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$3.03 TTD 20.36

-3.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.86 TTD 5.77

-34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$72.9 TTD 489

-59.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.06 TTD 7.12

401.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.92 TTD 6.17

304.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$14.77 TTD 99.2

-60.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.11 TTD 7.43

39.64%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$14.7K TTD 98.8K

51.99%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$41.4K TTD 278.1K

-38.26%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$43.94 TTD 295

103.19%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$42.50 TTD 285

-45.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$45.73 TTD 307

-30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$44.59 TTD 299

54.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$9.07 TTD 60.9

-44.21%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$405 TTD 2,718

-45.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$10.5K TTD 70.5K

-59.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$55.6 TTD 373

-16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$37.30 TTD 250

19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$87.2 TTD 585

9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$87.4 TTD 587

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$661 TTD 4,436

61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$442 TTD 2,967

-11.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,456 TTD 9,774

36.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$952 TTD 6,395

36.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,798 TTD 12.1K

-58.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.75

101.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Diego Martin: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in Diego Martin. 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 141% higher in Diego Martin, 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $88.0 in Diego Martin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $328 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Diego Martin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diego Martin costs about 3% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,047 in Diego Martin. 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.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Diego Martin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $88.0 in Diego Martin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in Diego Martin at $1,364. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Diego Martin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,330 versus $1,364 in Diego Martin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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