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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,483 in Pago Pago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,260 in Pago Pago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,038 in Pago Pago.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 10% less than in Pago Pago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Pago Pago is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$35.73 $35.73

29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$9.88 $9.88

27.43%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.98 $0.98

-17.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$4.03 $4.03

69.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.60 $2.60

-34.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.85 $2.85

-22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$4.38 $4.38

-60.73%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$4.57 $4.57

-40.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$10.14 $10.14

-7.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$10.02 $10.02

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$11.50 $11.50

11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$6.17 $6.17

-49.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.99 $0.99

56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.99 $2.99

-28.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$4.08 $4.08

-42.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$3.92 $3.92

-48.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$3.96 $3.96

-49.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$2.03 $2.03

-38.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$2.06 $2.06

-42.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$11.67 $11.67

-60.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$14.86 $14.86

-29.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$0.97 $0.97

62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$3.00 $3.00

-2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$2.01 $2.01

-72.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$123 $123

-75.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$5.08 $5.08

4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.02 $2.02

84.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$29.89 $29.89

-80.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.30 $1.30

19.23%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$29.8K $29.8K

-24.90%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$20.0K $20.0K

27.62%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$408 $408

-78.11%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$29.86 $29.86

-21.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$74.8 $74.8

-57.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$49.31 $49.31

39.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$9.94 $9.94

195.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$8.85 $8.85

-42.82%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$1,000 $1,000

-77.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$10.2K $10.2K

-57.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$70.8 $70.8

-34.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$49.33 $49.33

-9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$81.6 $81.6

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$98.2 $98.2

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$331 $331

223.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$202 $202

94.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$897 $897

121.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$714 $714

82.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

-77.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$10.8K $10.8K

-38.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,194 $1,194

-37.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

286.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Pago Pago: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $331 in Pago Pago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pago Pago pays 60% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Pago Pago. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $368, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pago Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Pago Pago. 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, salaries run 60% lower in Pago Pago. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $331 in Pago Pago. 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 313% less than in Pago Pago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,000 in Pago Pago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,483 in Pago Pago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pago Pago. 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 $1,330 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 Pago Pago 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 11% less than in Pago Pago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.