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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $367 in Itahari, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $659 in Itahari, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $952 in Itahari, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 243% more than Itahari, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itahari are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Itahari 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$1.83 NPR 280

540.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$19.03 NPR 2,904

120.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.45 NPR 985

62.95%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.56 NPR 238

130.13%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.53 NPR 81.3

184.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.17 NPR 25.49

441.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.54 NPR 388

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.67 NPR 560

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.73 NPR 112

91.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.55 NPR 84.7

241.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.80 NPR 123

95.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.56 NPR 238

67.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.49 NPR 1,143

11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.26 NPR 497

156.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.27 NPR 957

73.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.89 NPR 288

43.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.82 NPR 125

84.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.23 NPR 188

52.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.69 NPR 105

217.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.48 NPR 73.6

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.69 NPR 105

223.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.52 NPR 79.6

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.34 NPR 51.6

220.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.89 NPR 442

44.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.40 NPR 976

62.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.24 NPR 343

-25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.34 NPR 510

-21.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.18 NPR 27.36

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.17 NPR 331

41.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.76 NPR 115

215.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.53 NPR 539

-11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.23 NPR 187

6.50%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.9K NPR 4.9M

-6.50%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$40.5K NPR 6.2M

-42.38%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$26.81 NPR 4,092

203.17%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$4.96 NPR 757

354.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$9.68 NPR 1,477

210.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$18.01 NPR 2,749

193.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.75 NPR 419

78.91%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$72.7 NPR 11.1K

176.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,767 NPR 422.3K

87.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$24.84 NPR 3,792

44.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$27.65 NPR 4,221

45.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$45.00 NPR 6,868

77.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$28.34 NPR 4,325

205.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$105 NPR 16.0K

833.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$18.49 NPR 2,822

2444.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$98.6 NPR 15.1K

1574.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$143 NPR 21.9K

739.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$193 NPR 29.5K

250.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.08

-5.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Itahari: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $105 in Itahari. 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 250% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Itahari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $142 – making Itahari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Itahari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $367 in Itahari – roughly 243% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $550 in Itahari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itahari, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 in Itahari. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 77% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Itahari, where all-in costs run around $367, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Itahari 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 $367 in Itahari to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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