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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $959 in Onesti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,448 in Onesti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,936 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 5% lower, Onesti 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.00 RON 31.81

67.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.57 RON 171

11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.60 RON 30.02

59.24%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.87 RON 8.49

91.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.09 RON 9.49

-27.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.67 RON 7.58

-44.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.03 RON 9.22

45.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.94 RON 13.39

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.14 RON 5.16

22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.19 RON 5.42

57.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.88 RON 8.53

-17.02%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.92 RON 13.29

-10.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.09 RON 36.77

2.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.87 RON 31.22

21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.41 RON 51.9

-4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$0.92 RON 4.19

194.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.52 RON 6.89

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.52 RON 6.91

23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.88 RON 8.55

16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.78 RON 3.57

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.05 RON 4.77

112.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.00 RON 4.56

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.59 RON 2.70

84.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.63 RON 25.57

-25.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.59 RON 25.41

86.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.02 RON 4.62

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.52 RON 6.90

71.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.67 RON 3.06

-19.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$20.13 RON 91.5

29.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.18 RON 5.35

161.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.66 RON 2.99

263.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$7.07 RON 32.14

-55.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.58 RON 7.17

-17.09%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$28.0K RON 127.2K

6.52%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$25.6K RON 116.4K

-8.92%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$157 RON 715

-48.35%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$8.07 RON 36.70

179.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$9.47 RON 43.04

217.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$41.91 RON 191

26.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$18.97 RON 86.2

-3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.98 RON 31.71

-29.51%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$307 RON 1,398

-34.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$10.0K RON 45.5K

-48.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$36.90 RON 168

-2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$30.27 RON 138

32.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$74.7 RON 340

6.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$71.7 RON 326

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$389 RON 1,770

151.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$295 RON 1,343

59.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$577 RON 2,622

186.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$440 RON 2,001

173.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,994 RON 9,067

98.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,406 RON 6,393

369.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$662 RON 3,011

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Onesti: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $389 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 $38.00 in Onesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,439 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 $38.00 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $959 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 $959, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $959 versus $1,260 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.