Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Miraflores Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Miraflores

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,080 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,194 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,307 in Miraflores, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Miraflores, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Miraflores are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Miraflores 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.12 PEN 14.02

188.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.74 PEN 115

27.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.94 PEN 16.78

115.59%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.54 PEN 8.62

35.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.93 PEN 3.15

61.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.60 PEN 2.04

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.27 PEN 7.72

33.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.85 PEN 13.10

19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.29 PEN 4.38

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.12 PEN 3.81

65.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.31 PEN 4.45

22.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.91 PEN 9.90

-11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.06 PEN 27.41

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.62 PEN 19.12

48.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.97 PEN 30.49

18.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.02 PEN 6.87

30.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.07 PEN 3.64

39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.10 PEN 3.75

74.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.09 PEN 3.70

91.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.02 PEN 3.48

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.87 PEN 2.96

159.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.80 PEN 2.73

32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.58 PEN 1.96

87.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.43 PEN 18.46

-23.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.89 PEN 30.22

16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.72 PEN 5.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.82 PEN 9.59

-7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.27 PEN 0.90

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.39 PEN 11.52

-7.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.21 PEN 7.52

13.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.26 PEN 28.07

-61.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.24 PEN 4.23

2.42%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.5K PEN 66.1K

56.09%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.8K PEN 84.4K

-5.10%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$55.0 PEN 187

50.99%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.52 PEN 28.96

166.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$23.49 PEN 79.9

25.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$33.89 PEN 115

50.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.80 PEN 23.10

-27.50%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$215 PEN 731

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,021 PEN 27.3K

-34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$50.4 PEN 171

-26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$36.50 PEN 124

9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$92.1 PEN 313

-13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$84.9 PEN 289

5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$654 PEN 2,223

46.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$502 PEN 1,706

-4.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,606 PEN 5,460

2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,546 PEN 8,656

53.88%

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

10.11

12.96%

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 Miraflores: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $654 in Miraflores. 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 $34.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $194 – making Miraflores the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Miraflores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,621 in Miraflores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miraflores, 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 $34.00 in Miraflores. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miraflores, where all-in costs run around $1,080, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Miraflores it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miraflores – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Miraflores. 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.