Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nasr City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nasr City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $495 in Nasr City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $751 in Nasr City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,007 in Nasr City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 154% more than Nasr City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nasr City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Nasr City 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.64 E£186

229.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.61 E£797

167.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.46 E£279

96.89%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.49 E£75.9

134.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.31 E£15.94

367.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.11 E£5.51

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.21 E£61.8

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.03 E£155

48.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.93 E£47.64

53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.59 E£30.01

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.66 E£33.92

137.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.46 E£74.5

71.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.95 E£201

109.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.32 E£220

95.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.79 E£449

21.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.42 E£72.7

83.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.55 E£27.97

161.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.40 E£20.26

390.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.37 E£18.67

464.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.40 E£20.63

362.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.41 E£20.81

429.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.22 E£11.32

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.20 E£10.34

435.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.84 E£94.1

122.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.84 E£298

74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.24 E£63.4

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.87 E£95.5

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.20 E£10.28

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$6.88 E£351

278.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.39 E£19.78

728.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.17 E£8.72

1317.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.94 E£99.0

66.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.33 E£16.96

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$31.8K E£1.6M

-6.70%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.5K E£1.7M

-29.41%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$25.21 E£1,287

225.31%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.95 E£304

285.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$11.08 E£566

171.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$24.16 E£1,233

115.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$1.93 E£98.3

860.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.03 E£155

64.36%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$89.4 E£4,564

120.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,950 E£99.5K

173.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.12 E£1,384

31.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$48.09 E£2,455

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$107 E£5,462

-26.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.3 E£2,616

73.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$391 E£20.0K

142.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$97.7 E£4,989

384.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$256 E£13.1K

541.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$135 E£6,876

798.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$809 E£41.3K

401.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$453 E£23.1K

1328.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$192 E£9,824

239.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nasr City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 in Nasr City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 240% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Nasr City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $124 – making Nasr City 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 Nasr City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 154%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $742 in Nasr City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nasr City, 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 $16.00 in Nasr City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $495 in Nasr City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nasr City, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Nasr City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nasr City – 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 Nasr City. 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.