Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Las Piedras Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Las Piedras

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $953 in Las Piedras, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,531 in Las Piedras, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,109 in Las Piedras, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Las Piedras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Las Piedras are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Las Piedras 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$6.73 UYU 271

74.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$55.5 UYU 2,234

-24.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$8.52 UYU 343

24.88%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.19 UYU 47.99

195.80%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-33.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.97 UYU 39.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.49 UYU 59.9

97.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$3.70 UYU 149

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.21 UYU 48.66

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$2.80 UYU 113

-32.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.57 UYU 63.3

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$4.76 UYU 192

-47.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$13.48 UYU 543

-38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$10.62 UYU 428

-21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$10.85 UYU 437

-1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$3.11 UYU 125

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$2.45 UYU 98.5

-40.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.52 UYU 61.2

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$3.67 UYU 148

-43.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$2.17 UYU 87.3

-17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.88 UYU 75.8

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.36 UYU 54.9

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$1.66 UYU 66.8

-34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$5.27 UYU 212

-22.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$10.10 UYU 407

2.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$2.36 UYU 94.9

-27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$3.02 UYU 122

-14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$1.19 UYU 48.05

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$43.39 UYU 1,747

-39.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.43 UYU 57.8

127.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$1.57 UYU 63.2

58.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$10.95 UYU 441

-70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.82 UYU 73.2

-28.02%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$34.9K UYU 1.4M

-13.16%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

-36.03%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$174 UYU 6,984

-52.24%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$16.33 UYU 657

36.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$50.1 UYU 2,017

-41.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$29.23 UYU 1,177

76.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$25.50 UYU 1,026

-28.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$9.59 UYU 386

-47.13%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$480 UYU 19.3K

-58.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$8,830 UYU 355.5K

-40.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$95.3 UYU 3,836

-61.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$47.06 UYU 1,894

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$113 UYU 4,567

-30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$121 UYU 4,881

-28.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$408 UYU 16.4K

302.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.68

101.06%

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 Las Piedras: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $55.0 in Las Piedras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $320 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Las Piedras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 36%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,430 in Las Piedras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Las Piedras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $480 in Las Piedras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Las Piedras, where all-in costs run around $953, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Las Piedras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Las Piedras – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Las Piedras. 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.