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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,115 in Durango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,770 in Durango, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,425 in Durango, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Durango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Durango are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Durango 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$7.95 MX$136

45.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$32.46 MX$557

45.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.93 MX$188

8.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.09 MX$35.88

90.43%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.26 MX$21.64

13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.83 MX$14.22

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.44 MX$24.72

121.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.88 MX$49.42

135.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.33 MX$22.77

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.58 MX$44.32

-14.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.30 MX$22.25

31.54%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.41 MX$41.43

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$8.47 MX$145

13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.55 MX$147

5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$9.70 MX$166

32.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.57 MX$44.20

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.62 MX$27.87

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.97 MX$33.76

9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.22 MX$21.02

85.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.32 MX$22.58

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.31 MX$22.49

51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.91 MX$15.66

35.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.23 MX$21.11

-2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.89 MX$66.8

16.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$14.83 MX$255

-30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.84 MX$31.64

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.87 MX$49.18

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.73 MX$12.57

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.25 MX$21.43

331.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.00 MX$34.42

86.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$11.38 MX$195

-49.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.45 MX$24.93

6.21%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$20.2K MX$346.2K

11.79%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$24.9K MX$427.9K

4.52%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$62.3 MX$1,069

46.68%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$22.54 MX$387

11.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$28.66 MX$492

9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$24.79 MX$425

171.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$10.32 MX$177

182.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$4.10 MX$70.4

18.54%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$186 MX$3,199

19.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$2,467 MX$42.3K

71.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$57.3 MX$984

-17.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$44.51 MX$764

-0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$106 MX$1,825

-24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

-0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$653 MX$11.2K

62.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$416 MX$7,133

-6.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,113 MX$19.1K

93.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$817 MX$14.0K

55.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,983 MX$34.0K

101.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,383 MX$23.7K

370.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$582 MX$9,993

30.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.3

-6.91%

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 Durango: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $653 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 30% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Durango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $257 – 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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,115 in Durango – roughly 14% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,672 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Durango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $1,115, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,115 in Durango to $1,266 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.