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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $983 in Onesti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,459 in Onesti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,935 in Onesti, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Onesti are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Onesti 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.09 RON 30.89

68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.66 RON 160

16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.50 RON 28.34

62.92%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.92 RON 8.39

88.54%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.99 RON 8.69

-26.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.60 RON 6.97

-41.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.11 RON 9.21

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.01 RON 13.14

48.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.13 RON 4.91

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.18 RON 5.15

59.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.99 RON 8.67

-18.09%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.92 RON 12.72

-9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.87 RON 34.31

4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.82 RON 29.75

21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.16 RON 48.65

-0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.97 RON 4.23

173.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.57 RON 6.82

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.44 RON 6.28

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.87 RON 8.17

11.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.84 RON 3.65

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.06 RON 4.63

105.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.05 RON 4.57

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.65 RON 2.82

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.69 RON 24.82

-30.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.78 RON 25.19

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.95 RON 4.14

82.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.47 RON 6.40

70.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.70 RON 3.07

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$19.91 RON 86.8

35.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.17 RON 5.10

168.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.60 RON 2.61

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.77 RON 29.52

-54.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.62 RON 7.04

-21.60%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$28.4K RON 123.7K

8.83%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.4K RON 110.6K

-8.05%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$161 RON 703

-49.15%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$8.00 RON 34.90

180.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$9.65 RON 42.07

207.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$41.75 RON 182

24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$19.21 RON 83.7

-2.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.78 RON 29.55

-26.70%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$305 RON 1,332

-35.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,768 RON 42.6K

-46.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$37.53 RON 164

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.43 RON 133

31.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$72.9 RON 318

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$74.1 RON 323

19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$387 RON 1,688

148.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$292 RON 1,273

59.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$597 RON 2,602

167.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$431 RON 1,879

180.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,781 RON 7,764

121.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,374 RON 5,989

369.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$687 RON 2,993

4.94%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Onesti: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 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 5% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Onesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $199 – 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 31% 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,475 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $37.00 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $983 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 $983, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $983 versus $1,287 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.