Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Las Tablas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Tablas: $458 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Las Tablas

🇵🇦 Panama

$458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Las Tablas

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $458 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Las Tablas $458

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $681 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Las Tablas $681

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $904 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Las Tablas $904

Playa del Carmen costs about 162% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Las Tablas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Las Tablas 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$10.08 PAB 10.08

5.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

$29.60 PAB 29.60

47.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$8.75 PAB 8.75

34.74%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$1.02 PAB 1.02

27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$1.02 PAB 1.02

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$1.24 PAB 1.24

154.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.71 PAB 2.71

81.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$1.97 PAB 1.97

11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$2.06 PAB 2.06

21.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$4.38 PAB 4.38

-33.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$1.29 PAB 1.29

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$1.51 PAB 1.51

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$1.28 PAB 1.28

-10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$0.98 PAB 0.98

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$5.80 PAB 5.80

69.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$1.30 PAB 1.30

22.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$1.72 PAB 1.72

59.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$1.01 PAB 1.01

371.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

$0.94 PAB 0.94

62.77%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$147 PAB 147

-43.23%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$22.59 PAB 22.59

2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$37.18 PAB 37.18

-25.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$20.02 PAB 20.02

181.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

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

$207 MX$3,889

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Las Tablas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Las Tablas

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Las Tablas

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Las Tablas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Las Tablas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Las Tablas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Las Tablas

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Las Tablas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Las Tablas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $104 – making Las Tablas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇦 Las Tablas

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,939

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Las Tablas 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Las Tablas

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 Las Tablas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 162% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $687 in Las Tablas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $458 in Las Tablas. That makes Las Tablas about 62% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 149% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Las Tablas, where all-in costs run around $458, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Las Tablas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $458 in Las Tablas to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.