Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nuku'alofa Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nuku'alofa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,017 in Nuku'alofa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,869 in Nuku'alofa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,721 in Nuku'alofa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than Nuku'alofa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nuku'alofa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$8.07 TOP 18.94

45.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$62.1 TOP 146

-32.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$10.32 TOP 24.23

0.87%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.94 TOP 6.91

22.79%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$2.81 TOP 6.60

-48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$2.44 TOP 5.73

-60.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$3.27 TOP 7.67

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$4.97 TOP 11.67

-7.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.53 TOP 3.60

-6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.06 TOP 2.49

79.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.04 TOP 4.78

-23.04%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$4.99 TOP 11.72

-47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.27 TOP 21.76

-8.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.80 TOP 13.61

47.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.56 TOP 17.75

45.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.79 TOP 6.54

-3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.79 TOP 6.56

-45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.98 TOP 7.00

-35.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$3.79 TOP 8.90

-42.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$3.26 TOP 7.64

-42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.69 TOP 6.32

-17.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.25 TOP 5.28

-52.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.41 TOP 3.31

-24.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$10.24 TOP 24.03

-59.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$17.20 TOP 40.38

-40.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$3.10 TOP 7.27

-45.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$3.36 TOP 7.89

-24.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$2.05 TOP 4.81

-73.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$41.79 TOP 98.1

-37.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.12 TOP 4.98

50.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$41.19 TOP 96.7

-92.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.41 TOP 3.31

-6.38%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$5,915 TOP 13.9K

409.79%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$8,394 TOP 19.7K

178.70%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$183 TOP 430

-55.59%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$22.18 TOP 52.1

1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$123 TOP 289

-75.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$31.04 TOP 72.9

66.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$41.77 TOP 98.1

-55.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$41.76 TOP 98.0

-87.64%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$161 TOP 378

25.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$245 TOP 576

2065.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$14.63 TOP 34.34

143.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$17.43 TOP 40.91

131.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$20.61 TOP 48.39

281.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$28.60 TOP 67.1

203.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$614 TOP 1,442

54.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$828 TOP 1,945

95.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$546 TOP 1,282

123.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$420 TOP 986

855.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$250 TOP 586

2492.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$692 TOP 1,624

-2.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $614 in Nuku'alofa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nuku'alofa pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $62.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $293 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Nuku'alofa differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,017 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nuku'alofa earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $614 in Nuku'alofa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nuku'alofa – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,017 in Nuku'alofa – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nuku'alofa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nuku'alofa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Nuku'alofa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nuku'alofa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.