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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,101 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,668 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,234 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 4% lower, Los Ángeles 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.58 CLP 7,683

39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$44.15 CLP 39.5K

-3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.01 CLP 7,171

32.21%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.70 CLP 2,417

34.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.32 CLP 1,181

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.07 CLP 957

-12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.32 CLP 2,971

-6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.08 CLP 3,651

9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.22 CLP 1,097

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.56 CLP 1,400

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.86 CLP 1,665

-12.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.59 CLP 3,213

-26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$10.53 CLP 9,432

-22.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.75 CLP 6,043

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.81 CLP 9,686

2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.84 CLP 1,647

44.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.52 CLP 1,359

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.60 CLP 1,435

24.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.46 CLP 1,308

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.24 CLP 1,108

44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.40 CLP 1,255

55.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.23 CLP 1,101

-12.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.17 CLP 1,050

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$5.28 CLP 4,733

-24.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.56 CLP 4,088

123.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.59 CLP 1,424

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.25 CLP 2,020

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.59 CLP 525

-11.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.47 CLP 417

568.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.38 CLP 1,238

-7.97%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$19.9K CLP 17.8M

55.04%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$21.8K CLP 19.5M

6.97%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$130 CLP 116.1K

-36.75%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$13.53 CLP 12.1K

65.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$21.63 CLP 19.4K

37.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$39.07 CLP 35.0K

32.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$20.99 CLP 18.8K

-11.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.77 CLP 5,170

-13.86%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$433 CLP 387.5K

-54.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$49.79 CLP 44.6K

-27.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$29.71 CLP 26.6K

34.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$61.8 CLP 55.3K

29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$82.5 CLP 73.9K

7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$475 CLP 425.1K

102.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$375 CLP 335.6K

24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$900 CLP 806.0K

77.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$604 CLP 540.6K

100.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 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 $44.00 in Los Ángeles. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $227 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,652 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 $44.00 in Los Ángeles. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $1,101, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $1,101 versus $1,287 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.