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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $997 in Nuku'alofa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,864 in Nuku'alofa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,731 in Nuku'alofa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than Nuku'alofa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Nuku'alofa 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.47 TOP 19.98

40.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$61.2 TOP 144

-30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$10.26 TOP 24.20

3.22%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.83 TOP 6.68

27.92%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$2.86 TOP 6.75

-48.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$2.42 TOP 5.71

-61.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.24 TOP 7.64

-4.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.85 TOP 11.45

-8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.59 TOP 3.75

-10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.07 TOP 2.52

75.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.08 TOP 4.91

-21.63%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$5.17 TOP 12.21

-48.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$9.10 TOP 21.47

-9.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.82 TOP 13.75

42.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.76 TOP 18.30

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.84 TOP 6.71

-6.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.70 TOP 6.37

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.85 TOP 6.73

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$3.83 TOP 9.04

-45.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$3.24 TOP 7.65

-44.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.62 TOP 6.18

-16.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$2.16 TOP 5.09

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.42 TOP 3.35

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$10.13 TOP 23.90

-60.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$16.85 TOP 39.77

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$3.22 TOP 7.61

-46.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.41 TOP 8.04

-26.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$2.04 TOP 4.81

-74.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$41.19 TOP 97.2

-34.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.05 TOP 4.84

53.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$41.69 TOP 98.4

-92.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.43 TOP 3.38

-11.19%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$5,728 TOP 13.5K

439.11%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$8,199 TOP 19.4K

184.36%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$190 TOP 448

-56.77%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$21.90 TOP 51.7

2.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$123 TOP 289

-75.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$31.25 TOP 73.7

65.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$41.47 TOP 97.9

-54.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$42.05 TOP 99.2

-88.18%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$157 TOP 370

26.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$249 TOP 588

2015.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$14.56 TOP 34.36

149.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$17.82 TOP 42.05

124.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$20.37 TOP 48.08

292.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$28.55 TOP 67.4

211.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$629 TOP 1,486

53.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$825 TOP 1,946

93.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$546 TOP 1,289

121.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$416 TOP 982

847.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$252 TOP 595

2458.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$677 TOP 1,597

6.48%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $629 in Nuku'alofa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $61.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $294 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $997 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $629 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 $61.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $997 in Nuku'alofa – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $997 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,287 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.