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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,668 in Iglesias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Iglesias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,370 in Iglesias.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 24% less than in Iglesias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Iglesias is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$22.88 €19.93

-49.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$68.5 €59.7

-31.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$11.52 €10.04

3.13%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.96 €1.71

103.06%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$2.83 €2.47

-49.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.18 €1.03

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$5.90 €5.14

-45.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.49 €3.91

51.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.13 €0.99

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.14 €1.00

92.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.74 €1.52

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.51 €3.05

-21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$17.07 €14.87

-43.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.29 €6.35

23.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$7.31 €6.36

75.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.59 €2.25

11.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.83 €1.60

-18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.31 €2.01

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.76 €1.54

28.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.05 €1.78

-3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.42 €2.10

-17.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.45 €1.26

-15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.57 €0.49

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.81 €5.93

-33.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$5.08 €4.42

104.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.68 €1.47

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.87 €1.63

54.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.69 €1.47

-64.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$41.29 €35.97

-30.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$9.88 €8.61

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.60 €1.40

133.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$32.59 €28.39

-82.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.00 €1.74

-23.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$34.3K €29.9K

-34.27%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$37.5K €32.7K

-30.56%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$165 €144

-44.69%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$9.41 €8.20

167.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$31.65 €27.57

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$61.1 €53.2

10.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$23.17 €20.19

25.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$9.13 €7.95

-46.77%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$547 €476

-59.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$8,152 €7,102

-48.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$99.9 €87.1

-52.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$47.33 €41.23

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$97.7 €85.1

-17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$122 €106

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$673 €586

57.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$609 €530

-35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,096 €954

96.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$818 €713

55.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,065 €2,671

30.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,092 €1,822

210.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Iglesias: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $673 in Iglesias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $68.0 in Iglesias. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $241, with Iglesias 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 Iglesias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Iglesias differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,668 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $2,502 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $673 in Iglesias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Iglesias pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $68.0 in Iglesias. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,668 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.

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 Iglesias 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 32% less than in Iglesias. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.