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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $982 in Onesti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,458 in Onesti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,934 in Onesti, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 32% more than Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Onesti are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Onesti 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.76 RON 30.44

73.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$36.45 RON 164

14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.40 RON 28.81

62.66%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.88 RON 8.45

92.02%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$2.01 RON 9.07

-27.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.67 RON 7.53

-41.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.09 RON 9.41

39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.98 RON 13.40

55.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.13 RON 5.11

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.15 RON 5.16

65.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.96 RON 8.84

-19.90%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.85 RON 12.84

-7.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.29 RON 37.32

1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.72 RON 30.27

27.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$11.45 RON 51.6

-3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$0.96 RON 4.33

181.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.57 RON 7.09

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.52 RON 6.85

25.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.89 RON 8.50

14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.79 RON 3.55

136.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.09 RON 4.93

104.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.01 RON 4.54

6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.64 RON 2.87

67.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$5.56 RON 25.03

-25.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$5.50 RON 24.77

87.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.01 RON 4.53

66.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.49 RON 6.69

69.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.71 RON 3.19

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$19.87 RON 89.5

32.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.17 RON 5.26

173.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.62 RON 2.79

296.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$6.81 RON 30.65

-53.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.55 RON 6.99

-14.84%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$27.5K RON 123.7K

9.79%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$25.4K RON 114.6K

-8.06%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$159 RON 714

-48.71%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$7.91 RON 35.64

183.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$9.65 RON 43.48

210.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$41.15 RON 185

25.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$19.05 RON 85.8

-3.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.97 RON 31.38

-25.97%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$299 RON 1,348

-32.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$9,984 RON 45.0K

-46.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$37.86 RON 171

-5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$29.84 RON 134

35.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$72.7 RON 327

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$73.6 RON 332

18.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$381 RON 1,714

149.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$295 RON 1,327

62.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$584 RON 2,632

177.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$432 RON 1,943

183.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,894 RON 8,529

111.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,386 RON 6,241

367.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$659 RON 2,966

2.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.11

60.62%

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 Onesti: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $381 in Onesti. 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 2% 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 $36.00 in Onesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $200 – making Onesti 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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 32% more than Onesti, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,473 in Onesti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Onesti, 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 $36.00 in Onesti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $982 in Onesti. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Onesti, where all-in costs run around $982, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Onesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Onesti costs $982 versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Onesti. 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.