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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,177 in Igoumenitsa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,852 in Igoumenitsa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,526 in Igoumenitsa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Igoumenitsa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Igoumenitsa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$11.60 €10.12

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$37.10 €32.37

12.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$6.27 €5.47

66.03%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.42 €2.99

5.56%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$2.40 €2.09

-39.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.60 €0.52

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$5.64 €4.92

-48.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$4.97 €4.33

-7.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.47 €1.28

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$1.43 €1.25

32.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$2.49 €2.17

-36.95%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$4.35 €3.80

-39.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$13.26 €11.57

-36.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$11.30 €9.86

-24.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$14.75 €12.87

-25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$1.99 €1.73

35.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.86 €1.62

-18.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.67 €1.46

14.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$2.40 €2.09

-9.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.28 €1.12

46.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$1.34 €1.17

66.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.04 €0.91

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.85 €0.74

25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$5.34 €4.66

-22.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$11.42 €9.96

-9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.94 €1.70

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.73 €2.38

-7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$1.60 €1.39

-65.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$46.95 €40.96

-44.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$4.65 €4.05

-31.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$13.46 €11.75

-76.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$2.11 €1.84

-37.44%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$31.4K €27.4K

-4.03%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$31.7K €27.7K

-26.31%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$117 €102

-30.60%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$23.08 €20.14

-2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$28.97 €25.28

3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$48.13 €41.99

7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$26.07 €22.75

-29.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$10.06 €8.77

-48.71%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$428 €373

-52.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$8,167 €7,126

-34.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$83.0 €72.4

-57.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$36.55 €31.89

10.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$91.3 €79.6

-13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$117 €102

-25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$314 €274

202.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$249 €217

92.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$551 €481

194.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$400 €349

205.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$3,134 €2,734

27.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$2,542 €2,218

154.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$1,167 €1,018

-42.34%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Igoumenitsa: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $314 in Igoumenitsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Igoumenitsa pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Igoumenitsa. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $296, 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 Igoumenitsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Igoumenitsa differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,177 including rent). Igoumenitsa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Igoumenitsa. 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $314 in Igoumenitsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,177 in Igoumenitsa – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Igoumenitsa runs roughly 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,177 in Igoumenitsa versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Igoumenitsa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Igoumenitsa 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 Igoumenitsa 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 Igoumenitsa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.