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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $787 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,230 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,672 in El Viejo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 66% 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 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.08 NIO 369

18.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$37.61 NIO 1,377

25.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.65 NIO 280

53.59%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.59 NIO 94.7

59.07%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.88 NIO 32.11

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.67 NIO 24.54

35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.41 NIO 51.8

127.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.01 NIO 73.8

251.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.28 NIO 46.77

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.38 NIO 87.3

-9.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.73 NIO 63.3

2.31%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.31 NIO 84.5

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.63 NIO 426

-20.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.57 NIO 241

40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.25 NIO 265

74.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.74 NIO 137

-21.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.63 NIO 22.99

150.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.82 NIO 66.6

21.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.29 NIO 83.8

3.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.83 NIO 140

-48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.18 NIO 79.7

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.04 NIO 37.94

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.08 NIO 39.39

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.59 NIO 94.8

77.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.49 NIO 531

-27.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.43 NIO 52.4

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.34 NIO 85.8

18.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.66 NIO 60.8

215.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.60 NIO 58.7

128.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.86 NIO 251

-15.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.30 NIO 47.64

18.46%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$22.7K NIO 830.4K

0.57%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.2K NIO 960.7K

-1.60%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$120 NIO 4,409

-24.69%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$16.95 NIO 621

48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$37.01 NIO 1,355

-14.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.38 NIO 307

-42.00%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$234 NIO 8,563

-3.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,014 NIO 220.3K

-30.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$70.5 NIO 2,581

-32.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$72.2 NIO 2,646

-39.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$132 NIO 4,820

-39.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$107 NIO 3,927

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.25

11.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in El Viejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $257 per month, with El Viejo cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,181 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 $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $234 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 $38.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in El Viejo versus $1,305 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 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.