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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $811 in Itapevi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,317 in Itapevi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,824 in Itapevi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Itapevi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itapevi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Itapevi 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.47 R$32.94

81.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$33.40 R$170

25.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.34 R$37.35

41.83%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.82 R$9.26

98.35%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.33 R$6.76

9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.87 R$4.40

11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.76 R$8.94

65.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.50 R$17.79

32.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.14 R$5.80

25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.57 R$7.96

21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.26 R$6.43

24.60%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.35 R$11.97

12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.05 R$40.94

4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$3.87 R$19.70

121.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$8.57 R$43.62

28.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.28 R$11.61

18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.82 R$9.27

-17.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.42 R$7.22

34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.60 R$8.13

35.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.25 R$6.38

49.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.09 R$5.56

104.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.79 R$4.00

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.65 R$3.30

64.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.72 R$13.83

52.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.78 R$44.68

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.32 R$6.73

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$3.45 R$17.56

-26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.86 R$4.38

-36.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$38.16 R$194

-31.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.87 R$4.43

267.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.01 R$5.14

143.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$8.54 R$43.47

-62.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.04 R$5.29

26.92%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$22.2K R$113.0K

35.76%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$28.6K R$145.6K

-18.23%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$46.83 R$238

73.71%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$15.20 R$77.4

47.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$18.82 R$95.8

59.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$22.61 R$115

128.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$21.73 R$111

-15.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.24 R$26.67

-1.53%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$310 R$1,580

-35.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$6,941 R$35.3K

-23.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$57.7 R$294

-38.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$51.2 R$260

-21.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$84.0 R$427

-6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$71.8 R$365

20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$320 R$1,630

196.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$220 R$1,121

117.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$576 R$2,931

181.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$432 R$2,200

182.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,507 R$7,670

165.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,120 R$5,699

477.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Itapevi: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $320 in Itapevi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Itapevi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $195 – making Itapevi 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 Itapevi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Itapevi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,216 in Itapevi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 45% less in Itapevi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $310 in Itapevi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Itapevi, where all-in costs run around $811, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Itapevi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Itapevi costs $811 versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Itapevi. 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.