Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Iquitos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Iquitos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $656 in Iquitos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Iquitos $656

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,177 in Iquitos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Iquitos $1,177

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,697 in Iquitos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Iquitos $1,697

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Iquitos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Iquitos 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$198

$4.23 PEN 14.56

152.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$813

$37.33 PEN 129

17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$7.07 PEN 24.35

66.76%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.3

$3.41 PEN 11.75

11.14%

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

$1.30 MX$24.07

$0.83 PEN 2.85

56.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.47

$0.59 PEN 2.05

40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.4

$2.92 PEN 10.06

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.6

$7.19 PEN 24.75

-31.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.14

$1.69 PEN 5.82

-16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.75

$2.26 PEN 7.78

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.33

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.34

$2.60 PEN 8.95

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.21 PEN 11.03

147.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.67

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.23

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.67

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.58

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.99

$0.91 PEN 3.14

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.3

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.36

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

$21.2K MX$393.7K

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

$23.3K MX$431.7K

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

$83.5 MX$1,549

$35.08 PEN 121

138.00%

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

$23.19 MX$430

$11.15 PEN 38.37

107.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$512

$8.58 PEN 29.55

221.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,047

$29.56 PEN 102

90.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$523

$8.89 PEN 30.61

217.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$92.8

$5.63 PEN 19.38

-11.19%

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

$207 MX$3,843

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.1K

$2,760 PEN 9,502

89.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$806

$87.4 PEN 301

-50.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$789

$34.33 PEN 118

23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,350

$52.4 PEN 180

38.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,640

$26.33 PEN 90.6

235.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$347 PEN 1,195

186.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,097

$262 PEN 902

45.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.1K

$858 PEN 2,953

95.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$718 PEN 2,471

50.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.4K

$580 PEN 1,995

43.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $347 in Iquitos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $37 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $77 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

32,853

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Iquitos 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Iquitos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $983 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 235% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $37 in Iquitos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.