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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $700 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,148 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,597 in El Viejo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 84% more expensive than El Viejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, El Viejo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.97 NIO 183

140.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$35.56 NIO 1,311

20.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.10 NIO 262

49.15%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.43 NIO 89.6

48.97%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.84 NIO 30.84

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.74 NIO 27.34

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.33 NIO 49.15

132.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.06 NIO 75.8

116.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.26 NIO 46.55

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.46 NIO 90.6

-23.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.80 NIO 66.2

-9.44%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.24 NIO 82.7

17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$11.39 NIO 420

-27.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.54 NIO 241

26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.95 NIO 293

39.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$4.01 NIO 148

-33.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.89 NIO 32.84

68.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.78 NIO 65.8

11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.25 NIO 83.0

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$3.99 NIO 147

-55.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.20 NIO 81.0

-0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.06 NIO 39.25

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.01 NIO 37.05

2.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.72 NIO 100

45.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.78 NIO 545

-30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.42 NIO 52.2

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.24 NIO 82.4

11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.48 NIO 54.5

112.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.89 NIO 254

-55.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.36 NIO 50.1

-6.62%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$22.9K NIO 844.8K

34.74%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$26.8K NIO 988.8K

-13.09%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$99.6 NIO 3,670

-17.64%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$17.05 NIO 629

31.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$37.08 NIO 1,367

-20.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$8.14 NIO 300

-38.94%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$122 NIO 4,514

61.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,932 NIO 218.7K

-11.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$76.7 NIO 2,827

-52.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$72.3 NIO 2,664

-44.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$133 NIO 4,894

-39.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$106 NIO 3,908

-16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in El Viejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $262, 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 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,050 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 $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 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 $36.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $700 in El Viejo versus $1,287 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 84% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.