Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Viejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Viejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $726 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in El Viejo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 74% more expensive than in El Viejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, El Viejo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$5.02 NIO 184

133.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$35.48 NIO 1,300

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.11 NIO 260

47.82%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.39 NIO 87.4

50.21%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.83 NIO 30.51

81.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.74 NIO 27.27

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.33 NIO 48.84

122.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$1.95 NIO 71.4

126.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.27 NIO 46.55

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$2.48 NIO 90.8

-24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.81 NIO 66.1

-13.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.23 NIO 81.8

17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$11.27 NIO 413

-26.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.81 NIO 249

22.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$7.88 NIO 288

37.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$3.84 NIO 141

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.84 NIO 30.92

79.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.75 NIO 64.1

6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.22 NIO 81.2

-1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$3.92 NIO 144

-52.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$2.20 NIO 80.5

1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.02 NIO 37.32

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.06 NIO 38.72

2.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.62 NIO 95.9

59.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$14.56 NIO 533

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.47 NIO 53.8

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.25 NIO 82.5

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.46 NIO 53.6

110.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.87 NIO 252

-54.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.29 NIO 47.41

1.55%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$23.2K NIO 850.4K

28.38%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$26.4K NIO 967.2K

-11.68%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$97.5 NIO 3,570

-16.62%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$16.96 NIO 621

33.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$37.93 NIO 1,389

-20.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$7.81 NIO 286

-37.00%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$126 NIO 4,615

59.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$6,073 NIO 222.4K

-14.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$76.3 NIO 2,793

-52.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$73.4 NIO 2,690

-45.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$133 NIO 4,861

-39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$108 NIO 3,937

-19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.25

11.41%

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 El Viejo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in El Viejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $261, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 El Viejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Viejo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,088 in El Viejo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in El Viejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Viejo – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $726 in El Viejo versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Viejo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Viejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Viejo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and El Viejo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find El Viejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.