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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $688 in Durango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,120 in Durango, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,552 in Durango, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Durango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Durango are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Durango 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.02 MX$121

66.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$28.57 MX$494

46.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$10.09 MX$175

4.16%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.90 MX$32.90

88.95%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.16 MX$20.08

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.74 MX$12.85

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.29 MX$22.23

129.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.60 MX$45.06

69.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.20 MX$20.84

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.41 MX$41.62

-21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.23 MX$21.21

26.83%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.23 MX$38.51

17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.77 MX$135

7.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.33 MX$110

31.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.50 MX$147

27.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.44 MX$42.17

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.48 MX$25.63

2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.72 MX$29.78

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.05 MX$18.15

108.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.26 MX$21.78

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.17 MX$20.33

90.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.81 MX$14.01

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.09 MX$18.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.52 MX$60.9

19.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$14.56 MX$252

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.41 MX$24.45

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.67 MX$46.12

-2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 MX$10.54

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.08 MX$18.69

185.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.62 MX$27.96

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$7.88 MX$136

-60.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.26 MX$21.88

3.97%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$17.5K MX$303.3K

70.02%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$22.3K MX$385.4K

4.71%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$31.83 MX$551

155.36%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$20.55 MX$356

9.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$26.60 MX$460

12.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$18.38 MX$318

187.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$9.22 MX$160

99.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.68 MX$46.40

83.58%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$171 MX$2,960

17.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,236 MX$38.7K

131.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$47.13 MX$815

-23.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$26.61 MX$460

50.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$62.2 MX$1,077

28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$79.1 MX$1,368

9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$286 MX$4,946

242.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$134 MX$2,313

251.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$505 MX$8,731

227.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$265 MX$4,586

354.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,874 MX$32.4K

110.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,370 MX$23.7K

382.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$560 MX$9,687

20.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Durango: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 in Durango. 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 21% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Durango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $228 – making Durango 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 Durango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $688 in Durango – roughly 83% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,032 in Durango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durango, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $29.00 in Durango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Durango, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Durango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $688 in Durango to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Durango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.