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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,182 in Itoman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,839 in Itoman, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,496 in Itoman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Itoman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itoman are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Itoman 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$3.27 ¥510

254.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$39.35 ¥6,146

19.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$3.79 ¥593

213.46%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.51 ¥392

58.57%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.02 ¥159

40.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.75 ¥118

9.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.95 ¥304

63.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.51 ¥704

50.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.61 ¥251

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.83 ¥129

165.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.22 ¥346

-22.97%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.80 ¥281

52.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$18.28 ¥2,855

-47.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.84 ¥444

217.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$7.27 ¥1,135

76.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.73 ¥583

-22.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.69 ¥420

-44.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.27 ¥354

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$5.11 ¥798

-55.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.55 ¥399

-22.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.53 ¥395

-21.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.29 ¥202

-4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.66 ¥103

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.99 ¥623

14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$5.95 ¥930

74.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.02 ¥315

-19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.32 ¥518

-13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.40 ¥218

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$60.6 ¥9,467

-52.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.96 ¥618

36.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.62 ¥565

3.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$11.68 ¥1,824

-50.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.10 ¥171

40.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

3.74%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

69.98%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$163 ¥25.5K

-44.07%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$25.48 ¥3,978

-1.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$39.40 ¥6,153

-20.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$56.6 ¥8,842

18.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$12.41 ¥1,938

-60.84%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$346 ¥54.0K

-35.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,775 ¥901.9K

-26.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$49.88 ¥7,789

-5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$23.89 ¥3,731

85.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$50.3 ¥7,847

59.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$97.8 ¥15.3K

-5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$448 ¥70.0K

136.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$302 ¥47.1K

29.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$959 ¥149.7K

124.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$849 ¥132.6K

49.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,530 ¥551.2K

13.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,003 ¥312.8K

224.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.23

413.45%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Itoman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $448 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Itoman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $255 – making Itoman 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 Itoman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 7%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,773 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $39.00 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,182 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 $1,182, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.