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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,125 in Indjija.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,668 in Indjija.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,211 in Indjija.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than Indjija, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Indjija 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.10 RSD 916

28.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$42.17 RSD 4,244

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$9.58 RSD 964

11.06%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.04 RSD 206

72.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$2.20 RSD 222

-31.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.33 RSD 134

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.90 RSD 291

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.39 RSD 341

31.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.38 RSD 139

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.61 RSD 61.3

209.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.98 RSD 199

-17.17%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.67 RSD 269

-5.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.35 RSD 941

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.97 RSD 702

19.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.69 RSD 1,177

-8.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.29 RSD 130

101.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.84 RSD 185

-20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.64 RSD 165

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$2.25 RSD 226

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.93 RSD 94.1

91.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.89 RSD 89.3

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.76 RSD 76.9

36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.70 RSD 70.6

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.28 RSD 431

-4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$6.30 RSD 635

63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.95 RSD 96.0

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.19 RSD 220

17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.94 RSD 94.2

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$27.64 RSD 2,782

-4.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.51 RSD 152

115.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.42 RSD 42.35

492.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.02 RSD 506

-35.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.92 RSD 194

-31.77%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$30.7K RSD 3.1M

-1.38%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$26.1K RSD 2.6M

-10.24%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$173 RSD 17.5K

-52.21%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$21.96 RSD 2,210

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$33.34 RSD 3,356

-12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$30.71 RSD 3,091

68.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$16.79 RSD 1,690

9.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$6.32 RSD 636

-19.78%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$179 RSD 18.0K

12.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,880 RSD 390.5K

34.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$87.2 RSD 8,771

-57.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$45.41 RSD 4,570

-12.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$116 RSD 11.7K

-32.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$121 RSD 12.1K

-27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$377 RSD 37.9K

158.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$295 RSD 29.7K

58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$570 RSD 57.3K

188.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$418 RSD 42.1K

192.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,069 RSD 208.2K

90.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,517 RSD 152.6K

328.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$566 RSD 56.9K

17.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.31

56.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Indjija: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $377 in Indjija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% 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 $42.00 in Indjija. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $210, with Indjija 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 Indjija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Indjija differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,125 including rent). Indjija is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $377 in Indjija. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Indjija runs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $179 in Indjija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,125 in Indjija versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Indjija but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Indjija 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 Indjija 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 Indjija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.