Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pak Kret Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pak Kret

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $890 in Pak Kret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,441 in Pak Kret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,992 in Pak Kret.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 45% more expensive than Pak Kret, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Pak Kret 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.01 ฿98.3

296.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.08 ฿1,016

37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.18 ฿202

71.36%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.13 ฿69.7

69.95%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.72 ฿23.65

104.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.27 ฿8.72

248.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.53 ฿82.7

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.50 ฿81.7

78.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.74 ฿56.9

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.33 ฿43.64

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.45 ฿47.49

12.41%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.19 ฿71.7

20.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$15.61 ฿510

-47.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.30 ฿108

151.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.54 ฿312

16.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.40 ฿111

-22.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.33 ฿43.40

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.96 ฿64.1

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.42 ฿46.39

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.53 ฿50.1

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.22 ฿39.91

78.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.03 ฿33.62

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.53 ฿17.47

96.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.74 ฿155

-16.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$17.22 ฿563

-40.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.76 ฿57.6

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.33 ฿76.2

7.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.94 ฿30.72

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.09 ฿35.69

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.19 ฿38.86

101.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.46 ฿113

-10.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.29 ฿42.26

-1.55%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.0K ฿851.1K

18.65%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$26.6K ฿869.5K

-12.32%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$79.3 ฿2,594

3.39%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$12.43 ฿406

80.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$17.34 ฿567

71.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$49.94 ฿1,633

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$12.35 ฿404

51.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.64 ฿250

-34.95%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$297 ฿9,706

-33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,336 ฿305.3K

-43.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$30.44 ฿995

19.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$19.87 ฿650

101.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$99.6 ฿3,258

-19.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$44.42 ฿1,453

100.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$415 ฿13.6K

132.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$288 ฿9,429

61.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$816 ฿26.7K

95.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$655 ฿21.4K

84.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,358 ฿77.1K

67.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,374 ฿44.9K

369.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$770 ฿25.2K

-6.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.84

95.55%

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 Pak Kret: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $415 in Pak Kret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pak Kret pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Pak Kret for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $243 per month, with Pak Kret 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 Pak Kret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pak Kret is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pak Kret earns 7% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Pak Kret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $890 in Pak Kret – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $890 in Pak Kret versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pak Kret but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pak Kret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pak Kret is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Pak Kret 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 Pak Kret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.