Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $766 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
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La Marsa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in La Marsa

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $766 in La Marsa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
La Marsa $766

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,280 in La Marsa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
La Marsa $1,280

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,794 in La Marsa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
La Marsa $1,794

Playa del Carmen costs about 57% more than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and La Marsa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, La Marsa 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.40 TND 10.22

221.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$19.63 TND 59.0

120.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.18 TND 15.56

127.41%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$1.25 TND 3.76

204.80%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.59 TND 1.77

116.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.28 TND 0.85

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.46 TND 4.39

117.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.95 TND 5.85

152.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.49 TND 1.48

187.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.29 TND 0.86

665.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.23 TND 6.70

-36.32%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.77 TND 5.32

42.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$9.90 TND 29.73

-26.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.62 TND 19.89

16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$13.02 TND 39.11

-2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.95 TND 5.85

42.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$3.60 TND 10.83

-61.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.43 TND 4.28

78.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$0.67 TND 2.01

216.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.58 TND 1.76

234.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$0.67 TND 2.00

182.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.43 TND 1.31

167.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.28 TND 0.83

321.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$3.56 TND 10.69

20.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.50 TND 19.54

53.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.25 TND 3.76

26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.59 TND 4.78

67.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.32 TND 0.95

71.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$7.22 TND 21.68

268.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$0.31 TND 0.94

1503.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.46 TND 1.38

623.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$3.89 TND 11.69

37.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.86 TND 2.58

67.44%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$40.0K TND 120.1K

-48.31%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$37.0K TND 111.1K

-36.57%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$33.34 TND 100

154.32%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$12.23 TND 36.74

91.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$18.21 TND 54.7

57.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$42.01 TND 126

35.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$7.14 TND 21.44

304.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$5.30 TND 15.92

-3.02%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$57.5 TND 173

259.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$2,532 TND 7,606

55.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$63.6 TND 191

-31.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$70.5 TND 212

-41.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$88.7 TND 266

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$91.2 TND 274

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$288 TND 865

240.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$229 TND 687

66.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$710 TND 2,134

140.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$564 TND 1,693

90.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$1,658 TND 4,980

137.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,162 TND 3,491

429.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$333 TND 1,001

120.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-18.21%

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 La Marsa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

La Marsa

$229 29.8% 40% $152

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

La Marsa

$197 25.7% 22.8% $58

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

La Marsa

$72 9.5% 64.2% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

La Marsa

$64 8.3% 53.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

La Marsa

$141 18.4% 26.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

La Marsa

$53 6.9% 21.9% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

La Marsa

$11 1.5% 78% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $288 in La Marsa. 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 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $20 in La Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $197 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

14:53 2:53 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

92,987

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 TND = 0.333 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen La Marsa 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
La Marsa

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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,150 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Marsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $766 in La Marsa. That makes La Marsa about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 73% less in La Marsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $766, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Marsa costs $766 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with La Marsa. 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.