Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y El Nido Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y El Nido

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $806 in El Nido, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,292 in El Nido, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,778 in El Nido, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than El Nido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and El Nido are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, El Nido 40% lower.

Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94 MX$209
$5.16 ₱318
131.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75 MX$748
$30.02 ₱1,851
42.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 MX$185
$4.10 ₱253
158.29%
Cappuccino
$3.62 MX$63.4
$3.81 ₱235
-4.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$25.69
$1.36 ₱84.1
8.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 MX$16.51
$0.36 ₱22.47
161.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 MX$54.1
$1.35 ₱83.2
128.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 MX$78.0
$2.15 ₱132
107.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$24.94
$1.90 ₱117
-24.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 MX$32.97
$1.28 ₱78.7
46.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 MX$28.50
$1.75 ₱108
-6.86%
Eggs
$2.64 MX$46.26
$2.49 ₱154
6.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.21 MX$144
$8.08 ₱499
1.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.29 MX$145
$3.31 ₱204
150.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.10 MX$194
$8.32 ₱513
33.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 MX$46.40
$2.96 ₱183
-10.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$26.26
$0.68 ₱41.99
120.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$34.79
$2.71 ₱167
-26.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MX$36.33
$2.16 ₱133
-3.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 MX$31.29
$2.23 ₱138
-19.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 MX$38.09
$2.08 ₱128
4.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 MX$18.84
$1.12 ₱69.1
-3.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 MX$18.15
$0.77 ₱47.19
35.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 MX$69.5
$2.82 ₱174
40.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 MX$179
$8.07 ₱498
26.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$30.22
$1.15 ₱70.9
50.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 MX$43.71
$2.03 ₱125
23.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.07
$0.34 ₱20.67
52.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.97 MX$472
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 MX$55.0
$0.81 ₱50.0
287.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 MX$42.04
$0.24 ₱14.82
900.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 MX$54.0
$2.12 ₱131
45.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 MX$22.28
$1.04 ₱64.2
22.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K MX$540.4K
$26.9K ₱1.7M
14.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$408.0K
$20.8K ₱1.3M
12.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.0 MX$1,435
$112 ₱6,935
-27.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45 MX$393
$32.73 ₱2,019
-31.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66 MX$519
$31.85 ₱1,965
-6.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.9 MX$908
$34.23 ₱2,111
51.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67 MX$327
$4.39 ₱271
325.28%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 MX$87.0
$6.10 ₱376
-18.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 MX$3,462
$151 ₱9,298
31.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,273 MX$92.3K
$4,250 ₱262.1K
24.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34 MX$636
$45.13 ₱2,784
-19.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05 MX$701
$26.20 ₱1,616
52.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 MX$1,398
$76.8 ₱4,736
4.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9 MX$1,555
$52.6 ₱3,243
69.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 MX$16.9K
$267 ₱16.5K
260.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$465 MX$8,133
$179 ₱11.0K
159.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,596 MX$27.9K
$581 ₱35.9K
174.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 MX$21.2K
$387 ₱23.9K
212.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,942 MX$69.0K
$2,647 ₱163.3K
48.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,448 MX$112.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
El Nido
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$720 MX$12.6K
$263 ₱16.2K
173.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
6.67
71.21%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para El Nido: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $267 in El Nido. 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 174% 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 $30.00 in El Nido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $205 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Playa del Carmen vs El Nido: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and El Nido compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $806 in El Nido – roughly 60% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to El Nido?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,209 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and El Nido?
Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or El Nido?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $806 in El Nido. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and El Nido?
Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $151 in El Nido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and El Nido?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $806 in El Nido to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Playa del Carmen or El Nido safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and El Nido?
If budget matters most, go with El Nido. 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.

Playa del Carmen vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado

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