Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,284 on average across Mexico, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Higher rent and utilities on average across Mexico outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
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Mexico Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Playa del Carmen comes in 5% below the national average – $1,215 monthly against $1,284 in a typical Mexico city. Living here costs less than in the average Mexico city.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Mexico $1,284

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$11.13 MX$204

-1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$43.65 MX$801

2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$9.32 MX$171

27.90%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.59 MX$66.0

5.85%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$1.43 MX$26.21

-8.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$1.04 MX$19.01

-17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$2.79 MX$51.2

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$4.47 MX$82.1

12.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.63 MX$30.01

-10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$2.82 MX$51.8

-17.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$1.77 MX$32.52

-18.64%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$2.46 MX$45.07

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$9.12 MX$167

-15.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$8.15 MX$150

-3.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$11.83 MX$217

8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$2.93 MX$53.9

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.58 MX$28.93

-10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.02 MX$37.02

27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$2.01 MX$36.85

6.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$2.09 MX$38.43

-6.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$2.05 MX$37.63

-5.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$1.44 MX$26.52

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$1.16 MX$21.29

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$4.61 MX$84.7

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$10.91 MX$200

-9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.76 MX$32.23

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$3.24 MX$59.5

-16.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.64 MX$11.68

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$27.30 MX$501

0.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$2.82 MX$51.9

74.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$2.70 MX$49.54

30.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$11.13 MX$204

-48.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.45 MX$26.66

6.21%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$21.3K MX$391.0K

-0.27%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$24.1K MX$442.7K

1.56%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$69.8 MX$1,281

19.84%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$23.51 MX$432

2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$29.45 MX$541

-0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$37.76 MX$693

71.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$18.53 MX$340

58.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$5.28 MX$97.0

-3.60%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$259 MX$4,764

-19.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$58.2 MX$1,069

-23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$41.62 MX$764

1.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$100 MX$1,841

-24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$93.5 MX$1,716

-2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$728 MX$13.4K

35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$467 MX$8,575

-17.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,377 MX$25.3K

24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$902 MX$16.6K

22.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$2,602 MX$47.8K

54.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$1,513 MX$27.8K

312.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$801 MX$14.7K

-5.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.44

0.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mexico: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Mexico

$467 36.4% 21.3% $82

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Mexico

$274 21.4% 5.4% $14

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Mexico

$193 15% 5.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Mexico

$123 9.6% 10.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Mexico

$132 10.3% 15.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Mexico

$48 3.8% 35.6% $27

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Mexico

$46 3.6% 11.3% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

Rent in Playa del Carmen ($986 for a central one-bedroom) sits below the Mexico average of $629. Lower housing costs free up budget for daily expenses and savings.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

124,777,324

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mexico 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mexico

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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen comes in 5% below the national average – $1,215 monthly against $1,284 in a typical Mexico city. It's one of the more affordable urban options in the country, especially for cost-sensitive residents.

Rent in Playa del Carmen is 5% below the Mexico average – one of the city's key advantages. Cheaper housing frees up more of your budget for daily expenses, savings, or just enjoying life.

Playa del Carmen offers vibrant nightlife, clean air, remote work facilities – and at $1,215 monthly, it's 5% below the Mexico average. Getting good lifestyle perks at below-average prices is an uncommon combination.

$1,500 works comfortably in Playa del Carmen, where monthly costs come to just $1,215, below the Mexico average. In pricier cities across the country, the same budget would feel noticeably tighter.