Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jaco Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jaco Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,315 in Jaco Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,098 in Jaco Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,880 in Jaco Beach.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Jaco Beach, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Jaco Beach 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$7.30 ₡3,348

60.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$39.91 ₡18.3K

4.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$8.75 ₡4,010

21.60%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$3.80 ₡1,742

-7.37%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.59 ₡727

-5.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.91 ₡419

6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.93 ₡1,341

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.97 ₡1,360

49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.46 ₡670

-5.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$2.03 ₡929

-6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$2.13 ₡978

-23.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.46 ₡1,128

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$9.81 ₡4,498

-14.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.20 ₡3,761

1.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$10.77 ₡4,937

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$4.43 ₡2,033

-41.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.52 ₡697

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$4.24 ₡1,942

-55.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$3.15 ₡1,442

-33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.36 ₡622

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.29 ₡590

69.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.86 ₡394

20.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$1.77 ₡811

-38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$5.39 ₡2,471

-24.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$13.85 ₡6,351

-25.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$2.34 ₡1,071

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$1.97 ₡905

30.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$1.03 ₡474

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.79 ₡821

82.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$1.84 ₡845

35.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$8.00 ₡3,665

-59.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.45 ₡667

-9.66%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$38.4K ₡17.6M

-21.22%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$32.6K ₡14.9M

-28.12%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$71.1 ₡32.6K

16.59%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$21.66 ₡9,928

2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$42.49 ₡19.5K

-30.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$47.14 ₡21.6K

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$23.68 ₡10.9K

-22.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$9.73 ₡4,460

-47.89%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$447 ₡204.8K

-55.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$6,633 ₡3.0M

-21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$62.2 ₡28.5K

-40.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$52.0 ₡23.8K

-23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$125 ₡57.4K

-37.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$109 ₡49.8K

-19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$556 ₡255.0K

74.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$495 ₡226.8K

-5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$1,865 ₡854.9K

-11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$1,044 ₡478.6K

16.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$401 ₡184.0K

65.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.17

12.29%

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 Jaco Beach: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $556 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Jaco Beach. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $295, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 65% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $40.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,315 in Jaco Beach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jaco Beach, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Jaco Beach are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.