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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $671 in Itu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,213 in Itu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,755 in Itu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 92% more than Itu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Itu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.21 R$25.99

129.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$33.16 R$165

28.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.71 R$28.49

85.46%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.74 R$8.71

108.05%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.69 R$3.42

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.47 R$2.34

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.75 R$8.73

76.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.32 R$16.57

34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.98 R$4.89

45.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.31 R$6.55

43.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.25 R$6.24

30.40%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.37 R$11.81

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.24 R$41.13

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.58 R$17.86

131.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.31 R$26.48

109.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.67 R$8.31

58.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.25 R$6.22

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.70 R$3.48

184.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.52 R$7.59

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.86 R$4.27

108.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.08 R$5.39

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.75 R$3.73

44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.44 R$2.19

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.66 R$13.26

49.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.88 R$29.33

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.39 R$6.92

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.71 R$13.53

-7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.92 R$4.59

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.45 R$192

-29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.92 R$4.57

241.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.88 R$4.41

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.55 R$42.65

-63.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.92 R$4.57

38.04%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.0K R$110.0K

40.08%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.4K R$126.7K

-8.14%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$47.39 R$236

73.05%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.63 R$53.1

111.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.56 R$77.7

90.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.87 R$114

126.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.59 R$108

-13.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.37 R$21.78

13.73%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$315 R$1,572

-37.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,934 R$34.6K

-23.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$45.12 R$225

-19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$35.85 R$179

11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$62.9 R$314

27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$45.75 R$228

94.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$290 R$1,445

232.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$183 R$915

153.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$725 R$3,619

120.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$590 R$2,946

104.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,662 R$8,296

137.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,171 R$5,842

450.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$300 R$1,499

139.75%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Itu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $290 in Itu. 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 140% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Itu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $159 – making Itu 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 Itu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $671 in Itu – roughly 92% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,006 in Itu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itu, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Itu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $671 in Itu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Itu, where all-in costs run around $671, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Itu 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 $671 in Itu to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Itu. 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.