Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ibiza Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ibiza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,254 in Ibiza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,133 in Ibiza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,011 in Ibiza.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 61% less than in Ibiza, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Ibiza is 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$17.69 €15.34

-33.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$69.2 €60.1

-39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$11.40 €9.89

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.57 €2.23

39.69%

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

$1.51 MX$26.14

$2.87 €2.49

-47.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$1.51 €1.31

-39.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.51 €3.04

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$3.66 €3.17

20.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.41 €1.23

-0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$3.44 €2.98

-45.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.40 €1.22

11.43%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.21

$2.83 €2.46

-7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$20.63 €17.90

-59.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$8.38 €7.27

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$14.96 €12.98

-27.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.43 €2.11

11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$2.05 €1.78

-26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.96 €1.70

-4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.95

$2.67 €2.32

-17.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.19

$1.72 €1.49

8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.65

$2.01 €1.74

10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.40 €1.21

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.36 €0.32

202.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$5.68 €4.93

-26.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.44 €1.25

15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$1.72 €1.50

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$2.38 €2.07

-77.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$34.60 €30.02

-24.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.41 €3.83

-30.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.67

$1.22 €1.06

96.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$26.20 €22.73

-88.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.86 €1.61

-29.57%

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

$29.8K MX$516.5K

$38.1K €33.0K

-21.72%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$29.6K €25.7K

-21.22%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$236 €204

-65.49%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$23.40 €20.30

-3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$32.23 €27.96

-6.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$85.6 €74.3

-38.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$14.92 €12.95

23.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.3

$10.05 €8.72

-51.04%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$401 €348

-49.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$7,569 €6,566

-31.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$74.3 €64.4

-51.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$57.1 €49.53

-29.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$83.7 €72.6

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$159 €138

-45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$2,303 €1,998

-57.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,153

$2,057 €1,784

-77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$2,637 €2,288

-37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$2,548 €2,211

-52.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$6,679 €5,794

-40.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$2,809 €2,437

135.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,920 €1,666

-64.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.5

226.29%

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 Ibiza: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $2,303 in Ibiza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibiza pays 184% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $69.0 in Ibiza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $290 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Ibiza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ibiza differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $3,254 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 184% lower in Ibiza. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,303 in Ibiza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 32% less than in Ibiza. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $401 in Ibiza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,254 in Ibiza, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ibiza. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ibiza 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Ibiza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.