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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,733 in Pacov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,483 in Pacov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,234 in Pacov.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Pacov, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Pacov is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.22 Kč 192

27.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$43.94 Kč 916

-5.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$12.67 Kč 264

-16.02%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.93 Kč 61.1

20.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$2.82 Kč 58.8

-46.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.44 Kč 30.05

-32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.36 Kč 28.35

116.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$5.18 Kč 108

-14.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.60 Kč 33.29

-13.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.40 Kč 29.24

35.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$3.08 Kč 64.2

-46.75%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$5.45 Kč 114

-53.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$12.77 Kč 266

-34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.26 Kč 193

-9.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$21.67 Kč 452

-50.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.44 Kč 29.96

80.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.65 Kč 55.3

-44.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.75 Kč 78.3

-49.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$3.52 Kč 73.4

-40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.25 Kč 26.15

42.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.08 Kč 43.39

5.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.26 Kč 26.29

-17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.81 Kč 16.92

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.84 Kč 80.0

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.10 Kč 148

45.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.81 Kč 16.82

111.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.85 Kč 38.54

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.19 Kč 24.75

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$26.01 Kč 542

1.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.26 Kč 47.22

44.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.79 Kč 16.46

215.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$27.56 Kč 575

-88.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.68 Kč 35.10

-22.02%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$27.8K Kč 578.6K

9.11%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$29.9K Kč 623.7K

-21.69%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$299 Kč 6,232

-72.28%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$26.60 Kč 555

-16.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$20.61 Kč 430

42.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$99.4 Kč 2,072

-48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$17.15 Kč 358

6.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$13.87 Kč 289

-63.45%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$412 Kč 8,581

-51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$10.2K Kč 211.6K

-48.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$119 Kč 2,479

-68.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$37.43 Kč 780

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$94.5 Kč 1,971

-17.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$113 Kč 2,358

-23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$665 Kč 13.9K

46.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$555 Kč 11.6K

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,173 Kč 24.5K

39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$858 Kč 17.9K

42.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,713 Kč 98.3K

-16.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$4,757 Kč 99.2K

36.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,150 Kč 24.0K

-42.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.85

45.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pacov: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $665 in Pacov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pacov pays 73% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Pacov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $314 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 Pacov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Pacov. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Pacov earns 73% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $665 in Pacov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 2% less than in Pacov. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $412 in Pacov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,733 in Pacov, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pacov. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Pacov 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Pacov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.