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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $782 in Osório.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,230 in Osório.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,677 in Osório.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than Osório, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Osório 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.21 R$31.01

92.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$27.49 R$137

55.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.42 R$32.06

64.95%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.90 R$9.50

90.53%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.18 R$5.91

24.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.81 R$4.04

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.20 R$10.96

40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.65 R$18.22

22.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.86 R$4.28

66.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.69 R$3.43

172.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.05 R$5.24

55.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.12 R$10.57

24.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.25 R$41.16

-0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.45 R$22.22

86.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.17 R$45.74

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.06 R$5.31

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.11 R$5.52

35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.52 R$2.58

282.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.92 R$4.61

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.75 R$3.75

138.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.71 R$3.53

207.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.52 R$2.59

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.55 R$2.75

89.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.98 R$9.88

100.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.03 R$30.10

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.89 R$4.42

94.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.79 R$8.93

39.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.92 R$4.57

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$37.88 R$189

-28.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.63 R$8.16

92.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.00 R$5.01

140.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.56 R$27.75

-44.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.05 R$5.23

20.95%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$24.4K R$121.5K

26.79%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.9K R$139.2K

-16.42%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$61.4 R$307

33.50%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$14.55 R$72.6

54.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$20.31 R$101

46.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.71 R$113

128.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.41 R$107

-12.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.13 R$30.58

-18.92%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$309 R$1,542

-35.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,089 R$35.4K

-25.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$49.77 R$248

-26.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$58.2 R$291

-31.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$81.6 R$407

-2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$61.9 R$309

43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$319 R$1,593

201.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$214 R$1,068

117.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$577 R$2,878

176.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$424 R$2,116

185.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,816 R$9,062

117.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,305 R$6,514

393.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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 Osório: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $319 in Osório. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Osório for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $154 per month, with Osório 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 Osório: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osório wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Osório the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,174 in Osório to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $319 in Osório. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $309 in Osório. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Osório versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Osório but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Osório the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Osório delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $782 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Osório hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Osório gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.