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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,099 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,649 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,200 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% 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 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$8.80 CLP 8,187

33.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$44.26 CLP 41.2K

-5.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.81 CLP 7,269

34.57%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.75 CLP 2,561

30.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.31 CLP 1,219

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.06 CLP 989

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.15 CLP 2,931

-6.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.13 CLP 3,847

6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.19 CLP 1,107

17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.53 CLP 1,421

22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.89 CLP 1,755

-17.46%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.57 CLP 3,325

-26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.62 CLP 9,880

-21.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.85 CLP 6,374

21.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.82 CLP 10.1K

0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.91 CLP 1,773

41.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.50 CLP 1,398

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.55 CLP 1,440

20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.51 CLP 1,404

45.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.24 CLP 1,153

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.42 CLP 1,322

57.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.20 CLP 1,120

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.22 CLP 1,135

-10.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.40 CLP 5,026

-22.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.88 CLP 5,476

77.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.59 CLP 1,484

4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.31 CLP 2,149

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.58 CLP 540

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.48 CLP 444

541.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.44 CLP 1,337

-9.03%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.2K CLP 17.8M

55.45%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$21.0K CLP 19.6M

10.94%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$134 CLP 124.4K

-39.22%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$13.70 CLP 12.7K

64.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$22.38 CLP 20.8K

34.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$38.41 CLP 35.7K

37.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.13 CLP 19.7K

-12.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.57 CLP 5,181

-11.67%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$439 CLP 408.8K

-54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$51.5 CLP 48.0K

-30.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$29.83 CLP 27.8K

34.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$62.5 CLP 58.1K

27.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$81.8 CLP 76.1K

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$474 CLP 441.3K

106.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$369 CLP 343.1K

27.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$896 CLP 833.8K

84.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$588 CLP 547.0K

104.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $474 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Los Ángeles. Groceries tell a different story – $252 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 15% 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,648 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 $42.00 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 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 $1,099, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $1,099 versus $1,260 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.