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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,080 in Indjija.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,692 in Indjija.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,303 in Indjija.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Indjija, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Indjija 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.26 RSD 1,034

16.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$45.16 RSD 4,552

4.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.73 RSD 1,183

0.17%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.06 RSD 207

100.00%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.29 RSD 230

-38.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.45 RSD 146

-37.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.78 RSD 280

15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.54 RSD 357

99.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.35 RSD 136

24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.65 RSD 65.1

230.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.91 RSD 192

-7.33%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.65 RSD 267

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.16 RSD 1,024

-9.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.50 RSD 655

42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.71 RSD 1,483

-14.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.28 RSD 129

130.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.90 RSD 192

-16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.70 RSD 172

30.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.29 RSD 231

3.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.08 RSD 109

84.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.67 RSD 68.0

195.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.04 RSD 104

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.62 RSD 62.9

95.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.52 RSD 456

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.77 RSD 783

35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.96 RSD 96.9

76.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.42 RSD 244

14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.47 RSD 148

-59.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$32.37 RSD 3,263

-8.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.17 RSD 218

141.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.89 RSD 90.0

310.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.32 RSD 536

8.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.86 RSD 187

-17.20%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$31.4K RSD 3.2M

-27.40%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.9K RSD 2.7M

-4.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$191 RSD 19.3K

-52.55%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$22.70 RSD 2,288

10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$32.97 RSD 3,323

-3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$32.79 RSD 3,305

109.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$15.66 RSD 1,579

87.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.87 RSD 591

-17.21%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$296 RSD 29.8K

-23.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,801 RSD 786.3K

-46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$73.2 RSD 7,378

-35.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$59.3 RSD 5,976

-26.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$128 RSD 12.9K

-37.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$123 RSD 12.4K

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$275 RSD 27.7K

295.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$184 RSD 18.6K

121.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$512 RSD 51.7K

284.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$378 RSD 38.1K

238.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,150 RSD 216.6K

88.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,553 RSD 156.5K

331.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$580 RSD 58.5K

33.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.23

118.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Indjija: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Indjija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 33% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Indjija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $223 per month, with Indjija 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 Indjija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Indjija differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,080 including rent). Indjija is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $296 in Indjija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,080 in Indjija versus $1,305 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.