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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,480 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,238 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,997 in Ilion.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 14% less than in Ilion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Ilion is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$13.63 €11.75

-12.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$56.3 €48.49

-23.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.77 €7.56

21.44%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.95 €3.40

-12.66%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.66 €1.43

-9.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.60 €0.52

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$5.93 €5.11

-48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$5.83 €5.02

-20.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.91 €1.64

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.32 €1.14

40.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.78 €2.40

-42.09%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.96 €4.27

-47.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.63 €11.74

-39.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.88 €9.37

-23.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.27 €13.16

-30.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.25 €1.94

16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.14 €1.84

-30.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.58 €1.36

21.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.60 €2.24

-19.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.42 €1.23

30.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.20 €1.03

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.91 €0.78

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.14 €0.98

-4.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.72 €4.93

-27.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.31 €7.16

25.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.04 €1.75

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.89 €2.49

-9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.58 €1.36

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$46.27 €39.87

-41.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.96 €3.42

-20.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$11.46 €9.87

-72.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.12 €1.82

-40.09%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$29.1K €25.1K

4.25%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.6K €22.1K

-7.94%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$218 €188

-61.96%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.89 €23.17

-15.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$32.74 €28.21

-10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$47.66 €41.06

7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$26.66 €22.97

-31.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.48 €8.17

-48.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$511 €440

-61.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,404 €5,517

-17.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$91.7 €79.0

-59.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$32.55 €28.04

22.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$102 €87.5

-21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$115 €99.2

-22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$490 €422

95.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$391 €337

21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$789 €680

108.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$613 €528

99.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,798 €3,273

3.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$3,059 €2,636

111.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,305 €1,124

-48.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.8

137.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ilion: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $490 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 96% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $56.0 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $304 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 Ilion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ilion differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,480 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ilion earns 96% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $490 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $511 in Ilion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Ilion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,480 in Ilion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ilion. 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 Ilion 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 16% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.