Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Latina

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,594 in Latina, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Latina
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Latina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in Latina.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Latina $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,507 in Latina.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Latina $2,507

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,421 in Latina.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Latina $3,421

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 24% less than in Latina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Latina is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$19.53 €17.37
-44.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$55.3 €49.15
-19.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$10.82 €9.63
8.69%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$1.85 €1.64
98.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$2.89 €2.57
-53.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.39 €1.23
-41.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$5.77 €5.13
-46.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$4.40 €3.91
12.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.75 €1.55
-16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$1.73 €1.54
28.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$2.79 €2.48
-46.95%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$4.58 €4.08
-45.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$17.15 €15.25
-56.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$11.78 €10.47
-32.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$18.75 €16.68
-32.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$2.79 €2.48
-0.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$2.23 €1.98
-35.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$2.92 €2.60
-10.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$3.08 €2.74
-30.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$2.04 €1.81
-0.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$1.92 €1.71
3.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.26 €1.12
-9.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$0.57 €0.50
110.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$6.16 €5.48
-30.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$8.34 €7.42
20.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$1.49 €1.33
3.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$1.67 €1.49
59.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$1.49 €1.32
-64.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$35.35 €31.44
-22.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$4.44 €3.95
10.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$1.72 €1.53
99.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$22.21 €19.75
-75.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$2.07 €1.84
-29.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$31.5K €28.0K
-32.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$34.1K €30.4K
-32.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$214 €190
-60.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$13.93 €12.39
68.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$30.80 €27.39
-7.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$61.9 €55.1
0.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$13.82 €12.30
107.53%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$8.77 €7.80
-41.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$454 €404
-55.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$96.9 €86.2
-54.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$31.46 €27.98
31.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$124 €110
-41.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$131 €117
-31.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$567 €504
72.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$429 €382
-13.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$1,057 €940
59.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$870 €774
25.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$2,686 €2,389
47.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$2,015 €1,792
204.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Latina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$1,959 €1,742
-62.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.35
163.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Latina: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Latina
$429 15.1% $56
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Latina
$334 29.5% $76
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Latina
$266 32.7% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Latina
$258 88.2% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Latina
$173 54.5% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Latina
$79 9.7% $7
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Latina
$54 5.1% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $567 in Latina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Latina pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $55.0 in Latina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $334 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Latina
🕒 Local time
10:40 10:40 AM
17:40 5:40 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
127,395
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Latina 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Latina

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 Latina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Latina cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Latina?
On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Latina. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Latina?
Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $567 in Latina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Latina?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $55.0 in Latina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Latina?
All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in Latina – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Latina?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in Latina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Latina. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Latina more family-friendly?
For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Latina, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Latina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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