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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,681 in Imperia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,551 in Imperia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,422 in Imperia.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Imperia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Imperia is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$17.71 €15.51

-32.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$54.1 €47.38

-22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$11.45 €10.03

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.84 €1.61

90.22%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$3.33 €2.91

-56.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.34 €1.17

-34.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$5.70 €4.99

-48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$5.37 €4.70

-16.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.00 €0.88

43.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.15 €1.88

-14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.26 €2.86

-51.84%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$4.08 €3.57

-38.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.62 €9.30

-22.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$12.76 €11.17

-33.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$24.42 €21.38

-56.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.59 €2.26

0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.36 €2.07

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.26 €2.86

-39.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.14 €3.62

-49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.46 €2.15

-24.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.71 €1.50

26.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.23 €1.08

-16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.70 €0.61

52.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.90 €6.04

-40.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.89 €4.28

107.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.14 €1.00

47.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.81 €2.46

-9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.90 €1.66

-73.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$43.34 €37.95

-39.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.64 €4.07

-30.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.01 €0.89

138.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$29.57 €25.90

-89.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.03 €1.78

-34.98%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.9K €28.8K

-9.81%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$35.3K €30.9K

-32.88%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$158 €139

-48.23%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.96 €9.60

109.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$31.02 €27.17

-2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$71.2 €62.3

-26.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$23.04 €20.18

-19.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$9.40 €8.23

-47.02%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$901 €789

-78.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$16.7K €14.7K

-68.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$91.6 €80.2

-61.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.74 €35.68

-1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$101 €88.6

-22.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$135 €118

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$741 €649

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$584 €511

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,200 €1,051

36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$913 €799

32.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,848 €2,494

42.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,011 €1,762

221.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,807 €1,582

-63.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.25

251.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Imperia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $741 in Imperia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Imperia pays 176% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $54.0 in Imperia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $336 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 Imperia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 176% lower in Imperia. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $741 in Imperia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Imperia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Imperia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,681 in Imperia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Imperia. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Imperia 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 34% less than in Imperia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.