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 $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $942 in Las Piedras, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,540 in Las Piedras, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,139 in Las Piedras, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% 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 6% lower, Las Piedras 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$6.63 UYU 266

80.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$54.5 UYU 2,188

-23.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$8.52 UYU 342

22.30%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$1.20 UYU 47.99

192.50%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$2.18 UYU 87.3

-30.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$0.95 UYU 37.99

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$1.49 UYU 60.0

104.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$3.57 UYU 144

22.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.28 UYU 51.2

10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$2.87 UYU 115

-36.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$1.58 UYU 63.4

3.16%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$4.80 UYU 193

-47.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$13.51 UYU 543

-36.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$10.90 UYU 438

-22.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$10.99 UYU 441

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

$2.98 UYU 120

-7.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$2.45 UYU 98.4

-41.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$1.55 UYU 62.2

21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$3.73 UYU 150

-41.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$2.16 UYU 86.6

-17.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$1.96 UYU 78.8

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.32 UYU 53.0

-18.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$1.66 UYU 66.8

-34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$5.10 UYU 205

-18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$7.95 UYU 319

31.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

$2.33 UYU 93.6

-25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$2.89 UYU 116

-10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

$1.19 UYU 47.60

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$44.67 UYU 1,793

-41.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$1.49 UYU 59.8

115.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

$1.50 UYU 60.1

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$10.90 UYU 438

-70.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$1.84 UYU 74.0

-31.52%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

$33.9K UYU 1.4M

-12.47%

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-33.80%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$174 UYU 6,990

-52.89%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$16.71 UYU 671

36.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$49.71 UYU 1,995

-40.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

$29.43 UYU 1,181

77.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$25.27 UYU 1,014

-26.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

$9.60 UYU 385

-48.65%

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

$202 MX$3,530

$488 UYU 19.6K

-58.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$8,811 UYU 353.7K

-40.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$95.6 UYU 3,836

-62.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$46.72 UYU 1,876

-13.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$116 UYU 4,651

-31.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$124 UYU 4,997

-28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$424 UYU 17.0K

284.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Las Piedras: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $54.0 in Las Piedras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $318 – 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 34%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,413 in Las Piedras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Las Piedras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $488 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 $942, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. 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.