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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,118 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,245 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,371 in Miraflores, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% 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 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.55 PEN 15.25

162.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$33.31 PEN 112

42.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.48 PEN 18.36

114.42%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.37 PEN 11.31

22.26%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.12 PEN 3.74

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.67 PEN 2.25

35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.72 PEN 9.11

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.47 PEN 15.00

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.30 PEN 4.36

29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.15 PEN 3.87

86.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.35 PEN 4.52

31.11%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.93 PEN 9.84

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.14 PEN 30.65

0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.93 PEN 19.89

55.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.94 PEN 33.33

27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.04 PEN 6.84

44.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.11 PEN 3.71

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.44 PEN 4.81

54.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.21 PEN 4.07

95.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.97 PEN 3.26

105.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.91 PEN 3.06

117.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.85 PEN 2.85

45.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.57 PEN 1.91

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$6.02 PEN 20.18

-23.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.04 PEN 30.32

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.75 PEN 5.88

-3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.89 PEN 9.69

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.29 PEN 0.97

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$4.06 PEN 13.61

29.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.06 PEN 6.91

77.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.52 PEN 25.20

-23.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.37 PEN 4.60

12.41%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$22.1K PEN 74.2K

2.95%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.4K PEN 88.4K

-2.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$58.5 PEN 196

55.10%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.76 PEN 29.35

187.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$28.22 PEN 94.6

12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$35.50 PEN 119

93.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.53 PEN 25.25

-35.46%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$180 PEN 604

25.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$13.4K PEN 44.8K

-68.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$53.4 PEN 179

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.07 PEN 118

23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$84.8 PEN 284

-5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$79.4 PEN 266

15.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$691 PEN 2,316

57.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$527 PEN 1,768

-22.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,611 PEN 5,399

22.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,520 PEN 8,446

60.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.94

28.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Miraflores: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $691 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $205 – 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 17%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,677 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Miraflores. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $1,118, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.