Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Ángeles Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Ángeles

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,087 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,633 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,179 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Los Ángeles, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Los Ángeles are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Los Ángeles 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.41 CLP 7,556

41.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$45.30 CLP 40.7K

-5.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.78 CLP 6,990

36.89%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.81 CLP 2,527

22.78%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.35 CLP 1,217

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.06 CLP 951

-10.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.25 CLP 2,919

-6.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.19 CLP 3,770

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.25 CLP 1,119

10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.56 CLP 1,404

18.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.96 CLP 1,757

-17.86%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.60 CLP 3,236

-28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.30 CLP 9,255

-19.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.65 CLP 5,975

25.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.12 CLP 9,995

-4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.89 CLP 1,699

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.50 CLP 1,352

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.53 CLP 1,376

25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.46 CLP 1,316

43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.24 CLP 1,111

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.39 CLP 1,252

62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.21 CLP 1,083

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.19 CLP 1,065

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.25 CLP 4,722

-20.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.00 CLP 5,393

73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.59 CLP 1,430

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.29 CLP 2,057

13.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.63 CLP 562

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.47 CLP 422

565.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.38 CLP 1,238

-7.97%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.2K CLP 17.3M

58.23%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.3K CLP 19.2M

10.46%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$134 CLP 120.2K

-37.93%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.52 CLP 12.2K

67.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.06 CLP 19.8K

33.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.87 CLP 34.0K

34.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.68 CLP 19.5K

-15.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.57 CLP 5,003

-11.49%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$444 CLP 399.1K

-55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$49.92 CLP 44.9K

-26.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.91 CLP 27.8K

29.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$62.0 CLP 55.7K

29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$81.1 CLP 72.9K

10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$478 CLP 429.3K

100.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$369 CLP 331.4K

29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$900 CLP 808.9K

82.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$594 CLP 533.8K

106.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.18

120.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $478 in Los Ángeles. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Los Ángeles. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $230 in Los Ángeles – so Los Ángeles 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 Los Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Los Ángeles, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,630 in Los Ángeles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $45.00 in Los Ángeles. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Ángeles, where all-in costs run around $1,087, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Los Ángeles it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Los Ángeles costs $1,087 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Los Ángeles. 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.