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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $770 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,667 in Imperatriz.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than Imperatriz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Imperatriz 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.29 R$26.42

125.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$26.68 R$133

60.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.28 R$31.35

68.63%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.79 R$8.95

102.23%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.08 R$5.38

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.47 R$2.33

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.82 R$9.07

69.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.75 R$13.71

62.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.93 R$4.65

53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.49 R$7.45

26.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.18 R$5.89

38.14%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.94 R$9.70

36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.40 R$41.93

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.74 R$18.65

121.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.20 R$35.94

54.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.04 R$10.20

29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.30 R$6.47

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.14 R$5.68

74.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.44 R$7.16

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.20 R$6.01

49.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.07 R$5.32

103.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.76 R$3.77

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.67 R$3.35

55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.12 R$10.58

87.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.85 R$39.17

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.26 R$6.30

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.08 R$10.38

20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.88 R$4.40

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.31 R$191

-29.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.06 R$5.29

196.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.71 R$3.56

238.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.31 R$31.51

-51.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.08 R$5.38

17.59%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.5K R$102.5K

50.31%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.3K R$136.3K

-14.62%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$60.0 R$299

36.71%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.42 R$67.0

67.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.92 R$94.4

56.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.23 R$111

133.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.78 R$109

-14.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.42 R$32.03

-22.59%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$265 R$1,325

-25.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,558 R$32.7K

-19.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$48.85 R$244

-25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$42.43 R$212

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.6 R$377

5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$64.3 R$321

38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$316 R$1,579

204.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$213 R$1,064

117.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$576 R$2,873

177.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$421 R$2,103

186.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,754 R$8,751

124.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,066 R$5,321

504.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $316 in Imperatriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Imperatriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $175 per month, with Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,155 in Imperatriz 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $316 in Imperatriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $770 in Imperatriz versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.