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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,420 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,396 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,372 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 11% cheaper than Diego Martin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Diego Martin is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.25 TTD 35.52

126.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$74.1 TTD 501

-42.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.75 TTD 45.61

57.78%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.61 TTD 24.39

-4.43%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.10 TTD 7.45

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.57 TTD 3.87

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.89 TTD 12.80

60.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.01 TTD 20.33

53.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.78 TTD 18.78

-50.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.13 TTD 14.38

-13.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.57 TTD 17.40

-37.35%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.51 TTD 30.48

-42.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.75 TTD 52.4

6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.43 TTD 70.5

-19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.51 TTD 98.1

-26.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.86 TTD 39.62

-55.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.53 TTD 17.10

-41.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.24 TTD 28.68

-54.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.61 TTD 31.16

-54.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.50 TTD 10.16

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.70 TTD 11.51

32.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.94 TTD 13.08

-45.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.46 TTD 9.87

-25.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.86 TTD 39.63

-29.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.46 TTD 125

-43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.15 TTD 14.51

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.82 TTD 19.05

-7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.86 TTD 5.81

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$74.3 TTD 502

-63.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.01 TTD 6.83

209.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.91 TTD 6.15

175.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$14.62 TTD 98.9

-78.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.08 TTD 7.29

17.59%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$14.5K TTD 98.1K

109.41%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$38.3K TTD 258.7K

-38.41%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$78.8 TTD 533

5.34%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$46.94 TTD 317

-51.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$62.7 TTD 424

-53.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$44.19 TTD 299

15.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.59 TTD 51.3

-35.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$334 TTD 2,256

-40.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,115 TTD 48.1K

-25.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.8 TTD 405

-38.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.07 TTD 264

2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$148 TTD 1,002

-45.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$130 TTD 882

-31.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$673 TTD 4,548

42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$448 TTD 3,029

6.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,417 TTD 9,580

16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$956 TTD 6,462

28.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,799 TTD 12.2K

-62.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Diego Martin: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $673 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 170% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $74.0 in Diego Martin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $367 – 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 12% 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,131 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 47% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $74.0 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 $1,271, than in Diego Martin at $1,420. 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 $1,271 versus $1,420 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.