Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Izola

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,666 in Izola, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Izola, Slovenia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Izola
🇸🇮 Slovenia
$1,666
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Izola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Izola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,666 in Izola.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Izola $1,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,526 in Izola.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Izola $2,526

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,387 in Izola.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Izola $3,387

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 28% less than in Izola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Izola is 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$11.23 €10.05
-2.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$55.7 €49.88
-22.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$9.04 €8.09
30.31%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$1.33 €1.19
186.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$3.31 €2.96
-61.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$2.18 €1.95
-64.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$3.68 €3.30
-13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$4.56 €4.08
8.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$1.15 €1.03
22.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$1.52 €1.36
46.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$2.29 €2.05
-37.99%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$2.45 €2.19
2.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$12.96 €11.61
-43.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$9.32 €8.34
-17.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$13.77 €12.33
-7.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$1.82 €1.63
52.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$1.79 €1.60
-23.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$1.77 €1.58
44.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$2.91 €2.60
-27.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$1.22 €1.09
59.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$1.32 €1.18
43.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$1.13 €1.02
1.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$0.70 €0.63
68.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$5.74 €5.14
-25.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$5.03 €4.51
97.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$1.16 €1.04
36.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$1.26 €1.13
111.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
$2.03 €1.82
-72.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$34.07 €30.52
-21.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$1.65 €1.48
201.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$1.33 €1.19
150.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$28.03 €25.10
-80.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.61 €1.44
-10.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$26.8K €24.0K
-22.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$24.3K €21.8K
-3.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$284 €255
-70.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$8.03 €7.19
191.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$38.65 €34.62
-25.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
$51.1 €45.73
11.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$7.74 €6.93
-33.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$499 €447
-58.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$11.3K €10.1K
-65.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$118 €105
-63.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$37.60 €33.67
10.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$121 €108
-38.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$147 €132
-39.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$706 €632
38.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
$594 €532
-35.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,263 €1,131
35.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$1,156 €1,035
-6.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
$4,488 €4,019
-12.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
$3,229 €2,892
90.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Izola
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$1,604 €1,436
-54.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.29
248.02%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Izola: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Izola
$594 55.9% $213
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Izola
$251 1.3% $3.3
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Izola
$182 9.9% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Izola
$331 142% $194
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Izola
$190 70.3% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Izola
$67 1.2% $0.8
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Izola
$51 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $706 in Izola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izola pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $56 in Izola. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $251, with Izola cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇸🇮 Izola
🕒 Local time
01:35 1:35 AM
07:35 7:35 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
11,300
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Izola 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Izola

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Izola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Izola?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Izola. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Playa del Carmen or in Izola?
On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Izola?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Izola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Izola?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $499 in Izola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Izola?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $56 in Izola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Izola?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,666 in Izola, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Izola. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Izola?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Izola?
It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Izola on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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