Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,117 in Isla Mujeres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,747 in Isla Mujeres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,376 in Isla Mujeres.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than Isla Mujeres, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Isla Mujeres 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$10.42 MX$181

12.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$38.39 MX$665

9.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$7.85 MX$136

32.48%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.20 MX$55.5

12.81%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.27 MX$22.07

15.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.91 MX$15.74

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.19 MX$37.97

38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.92 MX$67.9

14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.45 MX$25.05

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.63 MX$45.59

-30.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.62 MX$28.14

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.32 MX$40.29

10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.98 MX$138

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.82 MX$135

8.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$10.41 MX$180

5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.62 MX$45.45

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.44 MX$25.01

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.79 MX$31.06

9.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.72 MX$29.79

23.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.85 MX$32.09

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.92 MX$33.32

13.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.25 MX$21.63

-14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.99 MX$17.14

6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.19 MX$72.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$10.70 MX$185

-3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.54 MX$26.68

8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.84 MX$49.27

-12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.65 MX$11.26

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.57 MX$44.59

20.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.58 MX$27.46

55.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.08 MX$140

-59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.28 MX$22.13

-1.56%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.0K MX$363.1K

43.97%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$22.2K MX$384.4K

5.69%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$56.5 MX$979

48.68%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$22.15 MX$384

0.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$27.97 MX$485

6.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.97 MX$623

46.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$16.11 MX$279

13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.68 MX$81.1

5.77%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$208 MX$3,605

-4.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,634 MX$63.0K

46.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$52.0 MX$901

-30.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$39.24 MX$680

2.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$91.7 MX$1,589

-14.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$80.0 MX$1,386

8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$510 MX$8,842

91.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$393 MX$6,807

19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$928 MX$16.1K

71.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$775 MX$13.4K

56.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,743 MX$30.2K

131.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,165 MX$20.2K

464.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $510 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $38 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $249 per month, with Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,117 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,676 in Isla Mujeres 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,117 in Isla Mujeres – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,117 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.