Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Iglesias

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,603 in Iglesias, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Iglesias, Italy
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Iglesias
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,603
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Iglesias

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Iglesias actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,603 in Iglesias.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Iglesias $1,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,381 in Iglesias.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Iglesias $2,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,159 in Iglesias.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Iglesias $3,159

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Iglesias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Iglesias is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$22.23 €19.92
-50.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$68.1 €61.0
-36.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$11.11 €9.96
6.03%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$2.01 €1.80
89.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$2.84 €2.55
-54.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$1.14 €1.02
-31.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$5.70 €5.10
-44.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$4.99 €4.47
-1.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.10 €0.98
28.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$1.11 €0.99
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$1.69 €1.52
-15.98%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$3.43 €3.07
-26.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$16.60 €14.87
-56.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$7.10 €6.36
8.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$7.14 €6.39
77.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$2.67 €2.40
4.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$1.84 €1.64
-25.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$2.33 €2.09
9.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$1.73 €1.55
22.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$1.95 €1.74
-0.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$2.30 €2.06
-17.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$1.55 €1.39
-25.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$0.52 €0.46
126.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$6.56 €5.88
-34.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$4.95 €4.43
101.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$1.58 €1.41
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$1.74 €1.56
53.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$1.69 €1.52
-67.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$41.82 €37.47
-36.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$9.75 €8.74
-49.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$1.49 €1.33
123.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$31.63 €28.34
-83.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$1.95 €1.75
-26.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$33.1K €29.7K
-37.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$38.1K €34.1K
-38.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$157 €141
-45.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$8.95 €8.02
161.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$30.03 €26.91
-4.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$60.5 €54.2
-5.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$23.46 €21.02
23.23%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$9.18 €8.22
-44.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$523 €468
-60.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$8,098 €7,257
-51.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$94.3 €84.5
-54.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$42.61 €38.18
-2.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$92.5 €82.9
-19.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$116 €104
-22.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$728 €652
34.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$582 €521
-34.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,050 €941
62.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$805 €721
33.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$3,289 €2,947
19.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$1,952 €1,749
215.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Iglesias
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.27
250.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iglesias: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Iglesias
$582 52.8% $201
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Iglesias
$236 7.5% $19
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Iglesias
$290 43.1% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Iglesias
$196 43.2% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Iglesias
$155 38.9% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Iglesias
$79 17.1% $12
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Iglesias
$66 30.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $728 in Iglesias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $68 in Iglesias. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $236, with Iglesias cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Iglesias
🕒 Local time
06:42 6:42 AM
12:42 12:42 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
28,170
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Iglesias 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Iglesias

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Iglesias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Iglesias?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,603 in Iglesias, so Playa del Carmen is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Iglesias?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $2,404 in Iglesias 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Iglesias?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $728 in Iglesias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Iglesias pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $68 in Iglesias. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,603 in Iglesias, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Iglesias. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Iglesias?
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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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