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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $991 in Las Piedras, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,571 in Las Piedras, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,152 in Las Piedras, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 32% more than Las Piedras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Las Piedras are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Las Piedras 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$14.74 UYU 593

-18.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$36.88 UYU 1,483

28.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$12.53 UYU 504

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$4.46 UYU 179

-7.62%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$2.43 UYU 97.7

-42.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-53.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$3.83 UYU 154

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.67 UYU 147

92.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.17 UYU 47.22

43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$2.70 UYU 109

-20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$1.73 UYU 69.7

2.31%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$4.23 UYU 170

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$12.22 UYU 491

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$11.85 UYU 477

-22.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.73 UYU 472

7.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$2.84 UYU 114

3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$2.92 UYU 117

-45.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$1.83 UYU 73.7

21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$3.02 UYU 121

-21.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$2.06 UYU 83.0

-3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.41 UYU 56.7

-12.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$1.89 UYU 75.9

-35.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$5.37 UYU 216

-14.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.29 UYU 334

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$2.27 UYU 91.2

-25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$2.86 UYU 115

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$1.82 UYU 73.4

187.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$0.40 UYU 16.22

812.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$9.84 UYU 396

-41.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$2.09 UYU 84.1

-26.32%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$27.0K UYU 1.1M

-15.63%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$37.5K UYU 1.5M

-31.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$117 UYU 4,698

-22.36%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$17.32 UYU 697

45.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$44.62 UYU 1,795

-28.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$29.86 UYU 1,201

130.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

$73.3 UYU 2,949

-59.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$12.26 UYU 493

-60.36%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$490 UYU 19.7K

-53.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$6,576 UYU 264.5K

-36.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$90.6 UYU 3,643

-47.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$37.49 UYU 1,508

15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$122 UYU 4,923

-34.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$119 UYU 4,789

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$425 UYU 17.1K

364.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Las Piedras: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Las Piedras. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $320 in Las Piedras – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 32%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,486 in Las Piedras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $991 in Las Piedras. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $490 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 $991, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.