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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,342 in Isabela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,958 in Isabela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,573 in Isabela.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Isabela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Isabela is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$11.79 $11.79

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$59.7 $59.7

-28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.95 $7.95

33.21%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.52 $3.52

2.84%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.22 $1.22

20.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.28 $1.28

-26.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.21 $2.21

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.96 $3.96

12.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.90 $1.90

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.92 $2.92

-35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.24 $1.24

31.45%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.98 $2.98

-11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.65 $8.65

-5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.58 $6.58

25.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.70 $12.70

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$4.35 $4.35

-39.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.69 $2.69

-44.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.92 $3.92

-49.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.02 $4.02

-48.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$4.08 $4.08

-56.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$3.08 $3.08

-29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.99 $2.99

-63.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.89 $1.89

-44.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$12.05 $12.05

-67.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$15.63 $15.63

-34.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.53 $2.53

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.15 $3.15

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.49 $1.49

61.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$15.30 $15.30

-79.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.86 $0.86

47.67%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$36.4K $36.4K

-15.11%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-14.09%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$493 $493

-83.36%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$78.2 $78.2

-71.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$74.9 $74.9

-60.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$12.15 $12.15

-59.09%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$475 $475

-58.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$10.3K $10.3K

-48.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$46.43 $46.43

-21.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$55.1 $55.1

-27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.8 $90.8

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$105 $105

-15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,765 $1,765

-9.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.71

100.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Isabela: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $60.0 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $339 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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Isabela. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $2,014 in Isabela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 in Isabela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $60.0 in Isabela. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,342 in Isabela, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Isabela. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Isabela 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 4% less than in Isabela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.