Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Janakpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Janakpur: $294 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Janakpur, Nepal
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Janakpur
🇳🇵 Nepal
$294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Janakpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $294 in Janakpur, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Janakpur $294

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $505 in Janakpur, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Janakpur $505

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $717 in Janakpur, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Janakpur $717

Playa del Carmen costs about 310% more than Janakpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Janakpur are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Janakpur 78% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$1.93 NPR 293
465.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$11.31 NPR 1,717
283.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$6.62 NPR 1,005
77.95%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$1.50 NPR 227
154.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$0.55 NPR 84.1
132.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$0.14 NPR 21.10
457.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$2.08 NPR 317
52.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$1.60 NPR 243
208.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$0.62 NPR 93.9
127.42%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$0.32 NPR 47.88
593.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$0.86 NPR 131
65.12%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$1.67 NPR 253
50.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$3.26 NPR 495
122.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$2.41 NPR 366
219.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$5.93 NPR 900
114.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$1.60 NPR 243
73.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$0.64 NPR 96.4
114.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$1.03 NPR 157
147.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$0.58 NPR 88.3
265.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$0.31 NPR 47.51
525.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$0.50 NPR 75.6
278.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$0.23 NPR 34.38
400.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$0.14 NPR 21.62
742.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$2.28 NPR 347
88.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$7.80 NPR 1,184
27.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$1.47 NPR 223
7.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$1.91 NPR 291
39.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$0.67 NPR 102
641.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$1.16 NPR 176
187.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$3.22 NPR 488
66.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$1.03 NPR 156
39.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$22.8K NPR 3.5M
-9.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$26.1K NPR 4.0M
-10.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$13.30 NPR 2,019
537.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$3.59 NPR 544
552.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$3.91 NPR 593
632.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$13.11 NPR 1,991
335.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$6.55 NPR 994
341.37%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$2.88 NPR 437
78.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$32.52 NPR 4,937
535.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$5,563 NPR 844.6K
-29.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$23.78 NPR 3,609
82.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$16.12 NPR 2,447
157.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$39.05 NPR 5,928
90.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$23.43 NPR 3,557
280.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$53.3 NPR 8,093
1737.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$22.79 NPR 3,460
1571.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$131 NPR 19.9K
1200.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$99.1 NPR 15.0K
985.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Janakpur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$324 NPR 49.2K
126.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
9.98
14.73%

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 Janakpur: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Janakpur
$23 94% $358
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Janakpur
$109 57.1% $146
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Janakpur
$70 65.6% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Janakpur
$21 84.8% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Janakpur
$46 58.8% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Janakpur
$19 72% $48
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Janakpur
$6.5 * 87.2% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $53 in Janakpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.3 times higher, 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $11 in Janakpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $109 – making Janakpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇳🇵 Janakpur
🕒 Local time
00:07 12:07 AM
10:52 10:52 AM
10 h 45 min ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
195,438
💱 Currency
Nepalese Rupee NPR रु
Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 170 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Janakpur 14,700 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Janakpur

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 Janakpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Janakpur compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $294 in Janakpur – Janakpur comes out roughly 76% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Janakpur?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $441 in Janakpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Janakpur?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Janakpur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $53 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Janakpur?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $294 in Janakpur. That makes Janakpur about 76% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Janakpur?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $33 in Janakpur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Janakpur, where all-in costs run around $294, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Janakpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Playa del Carmen or Janakpur?
Families tend to lean toward Janakpur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Janakpur?
If budget matters most, go with Janakpur. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?