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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $453 in Moquegua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $751 in Moquegua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,050 in Moquegua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 168% more than Moquegua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Moquegua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Moquegua 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$197

$3.46 PEN 11.93

217.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$806

$27.61 PEN 95.1

62.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$214

$5.82 PEN 20.03

104.81%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.4

$2.56 PEN 8.82

48.44%

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

$1.31 MX$23.57

$0.82 PEN 2.82

59.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.39

$0.37 PEN 1.27

132.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$57.7

$2.16 PEN 7.44

48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.1

$4.37 PEN 15.05

14.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.20

$1.33 PEN 4.59

9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$41.81

$1.37 PEN 4.73

70.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.92

$1.54 PEN 5.31

-6.49%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.23

$2.33 PEN 8.01

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$138

$6.24 PEN 21.50

23.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$142

$4.63 PEN 15.95

70.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$230

$7.37 PEN 25.38

73.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.4

$1.81 PEN 6.22

61.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.55

$1.21 PEN 4.17

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.10

$1.20 PEN 4.13

114.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.41

$1.05 PEN 3.63

103.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.99

$0.69 PEN 2.38

182.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$34.79

$0.69 PEN 2.39

181.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.68

$0.55 PEN 1.89

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$21.94

$0.74 PEN 2.56

64.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$78.6

$5.28 PEN 18.19

-17.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$177

$5.11 PEN 17.58

92.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.63

$2.72 PEN 9.38

-43.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$48.80

$2.25 PEN 7.75

20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$493

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.3

$2.05 PEN 7.06

139.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.3

$2.02 PEN 6.97

74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$102

$13.02 PEN 44.83

-56.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.67

$1.52 PEN 5.25

1.32%

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

$21.2K MX$381.7K

$18.5K PEN 63.8K

14.61%

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

$24.5K MX$440.0K

$25.2K PEN 86.9K

-3.00%

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

$83.6 MX$1,502

$23.82 PEN 82.0

251.01%

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

$24.03 MX$432

$10.37 PEN 35.73

131.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$527

$23.27 PEN 80.2

26.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.4

$7.33 PEN 25.26

-30.56%

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

$208 MX$3,732

$74.5 PEN 257

178.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$72.7K

$6,749 PEN 23.2K

-40.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$801

$48.42 PEN 167

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$756

$26.56 PEN 91.5

58.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,357

$68.0 PEN 234

11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,642

$58.4 PEN 201

56.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,921

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$30.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$19.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-23.67%

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 Moquegua: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Moquegua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $176 – making Moquegua 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 Moquegua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 168%, 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $680 in Moquegua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $453 in Moquegua. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $74.5 in Moquegua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Moquegua, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Moquegua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moquegua – 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 Moquegua. 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.