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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,223 in Itoman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,905 in Itoman, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,588 in Itoman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Itoman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itoman are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Itoman 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$7.00 ¥1,122

67.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$34.28 ¥5,496

21.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$5.40 ¥866

97.04%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$3.07 ¥493

14.66%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.06 ¥170

42.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.74 ¥119

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.62 ¥419

12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$3.21 ¥515

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.60 ¥257

-13.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.58 ¥254

19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$4.71 ¥755

-65.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.26 ¥362

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$9.96 ¥1,597

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$6.34 ¥1,017

31.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$15.34 ¥2,459

-30.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$5.31 ¥850

-51.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$2.54 ¥408

-42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$4.14 ¥663

-54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$5.98 ¥958

-65.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$3.03 ¥486

-41.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$2.59 ¥415

-15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.40 ¥224

-25.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.83 ¥133

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$4.07 ¥653

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$5.80 ¥930

77.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.85 ¥296

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$2.18 ¥350

18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$1.61 ¥257

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$54.4 ¥8,717

-51.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$3.57 ¥572

-8.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$2.95 ¥473

-15.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$20.94 ¥3,356

-84.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.17 ¥188

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

31.85%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

35.15%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$141 ¥22.6K

-41.24%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$26.95 ¥4,320

-17.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$34.16 ¥5,476

-14.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$56.0 ¥8,968

-7.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$14.03 ¥2,250

30.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$12.72 ¥2,039

-60.14%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$285 ¥45.7K

-29.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-61.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$42.61 ¥6,831

-13.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$29.01 ¥4,650

37.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$61.1 ¥9,787

28.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$92.0 ¥14.8K

-5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$476 ¥76.3K

104.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$332 ¥53.1K

41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$879 ¥140.9K

86.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$650 ¥104.2K

87.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$4,661 ¥747.1K

-15.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$2,615 ¥419.1K

148.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.78

541.57%

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 Itoman: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $476 in Itoman. 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 $34.00 in Itoman. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $311 in Itoman – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Itoman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,834 in Itoman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itoman, 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 $34.00 in Itoman. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,223 in Itoman. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Itoman, where all-in costs run around $1,223, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Itoman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Itoman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Itoman. 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.