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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $692 in Durango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,144 in Durango, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,597 in Durango, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 86% more than Durango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Durango are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Durango 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$7.17 MX$125

66.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$29.33 MX$510

45.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$10.22 MX$178

3.62%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.80 MX$31.27

101.11%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.11 MX$19.36

32.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.80 MX$13.86

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.29 MX$22.39

139.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.67 MX$46.45

67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.22 MX$21.21

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.35 MX$40.91

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.16 MX$20.17

40.52%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.29 MX$39.90

15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.80 MX$136

5.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.39 MX$111

29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.50 MX$148

30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.44 MX$42.39

8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.47 MX$25.53

2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.67 MX$28.98

19.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.04 MX$18.12

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.26 MX$21.90

42.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.14 MX$19.81

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.82 MX$14.32

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.06 MX$18.37

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.49 MX$60.8

13.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.43 MX$251

-29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.44 MX$24.99

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.61 MX$45.37

-4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.60 MX$10.44

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.10 MX$19.07

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.60 MX$27.77

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$7.72 MX$134

-59.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.26 MX$21.98

0.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$17.1K MX$298.2K

80.17%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$22.5K MX$391.2K

3.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$31.51 MX$548

160.27%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$21.09 MX$367

6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$26.53 MX$462

11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$18.32 MX$319

183.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$9.52 MX$166

96.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$2.62 MX$45.61

89.69%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$170 MX$2,951

16.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$2,267 MX$39.4K

132.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$46.86 MX$815

-22.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$26.47 MX$461

51.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$63.2 MX$1,100

26.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$77.9 MX$1,355

14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$290 MX$5,048

232.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$132 MX$2,304

251.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$501 MX$8,726

218.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$260 MX$4,527

364.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,999 MX$34.8K

97.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,292 MX$22.5K

399.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$564 MX$9,816

27.69%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Durango: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $290 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 28% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Durango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $226 – 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $692 in Durango – roughly 86% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,038 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 $43.00 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 11% 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 $692, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $692 in Durango to $1,287 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.