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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $714 in Irati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,169 in Irati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,623 in Irati.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than Irati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Irati 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$7.16 R$36.88

63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$35.47 R$183

17.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.26 R$32.24

69.97%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.36 R$7.02

158.82%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.95 R$4.91

58.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.61 R$3.16

59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.25 R$6.42

136.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$1.87 R$9.65

137.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$0.69 R$3.57

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.02 R$5.25

85.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$0.68 R$3.52

141.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.28 R$6.58

96.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$5.81 R$29.93

43.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.01 R$15.49

177.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$7.20 R$37.10

49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$1.31 R$6.76

98.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$0.70 R$3.61

108.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$0.73 R$3.78

160.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.26 R$6.49

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.75 R$3.89

137.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$0.56 R$2.90

291.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.43 R$2.20

141.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.59 R$3.02

83.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$1.95 R$10.07

109.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$8.02 R$41.32

28.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.03 R$5.32

66.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$1.47 R$7.59

75.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.94 R$4.84

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$38.14 R$196

-30.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.28 R$6.58

154.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$0.67 R$3.44

271.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$4.96 R$25.56

-34.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.08 R$5.54

21.30%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$16.5K R$85.0K

83.51%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$23.0K R$118.3K

2.01%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$53.5 R$276

54.87%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$13.19 R$67.9

68.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$15.95 R$82.2

83.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.22 R$114

132.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.89 R$113

-16.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.16 R$31.71

-17.69%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$267 R$1,375

-24.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$5,713 R$29.4K

-8.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$45.50 R$234

-18.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$42.59 R$219

-6.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$79.5 R$410

-1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$53.0 R$273

64.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$309 R$1,592

214.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$218 R$1,123

114.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$571 R$2,941

187.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$430 R$2,215

183.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,604 R$8,260

146.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,179 R$6,072

451.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$510 R$2,628

30.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.2

11.96%

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 Irati: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $309 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 30% 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 $35.00 in Irati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $135 per month, with Irati 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 Irati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irati wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 30% 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 $309 in Irati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Irati runs roughly 44% 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 $267 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $714 in Irati versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irati but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Irati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $714 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irati hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.