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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 in Pak Kret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,444 in Pak Kret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,009 in Pak Kret.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than Pak Kret, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Pak Kret 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.14 ฿102

278.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$30.77 ฿1,002

39.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.11 ฿199

74.30%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.07 ฿67.3

66.67%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.71 ฿23.17

111.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.27 ฿8.77

251.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.42 ฿78.9

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.42 ฿78.9

90.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.69 ฿54.9

-18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.34 ฿43.71

38.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.48 ฿48.10

8.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.27 ฿73.9

14.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.49 ฿504

-46.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.39 ฿111

146.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.44 ฿308

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.31 ฿108

-20.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.33 ฿43.44

12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.98 ฿64.4

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.39 ฿45.34

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.47 ฿48.02

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.16 ฿37.66

94.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.03 ฿33.47

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.53 ฿17.27

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.50 ฿147

-7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$15.10 ฿492

-31.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.74 ฿56.6

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.31 ฿75.2

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.89 ฿29.10

-39.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.05 ฿34.28

198.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.15 ฿37.44

118.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.32 ฿108

-5.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.29 ฿41.92

-1.55%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.1K ฿850.7K

16.28%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$26.8K ฿873.3K

-12.11%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$76.9 ฿2,504

7.97%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$12.80 ฿417

77.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$17.29 ฿563

70.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$49.74 ฿1,620

2.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.17 ฿396

50.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.77 ฿253

-36.55%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$297 ฿9,683

-33.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,100 ฿296.4K

-41.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$30.55 ฿995

20.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.43 ฿633

105.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$99.0 ฿3,223

-19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$43.41 ฿1,414

106.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$431 ฿14.0K

121.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$281 ฿9,144

69.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$804 ฿26.2K

104.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$662 ฿21.6K

84.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,916 ฿62.4K

104.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,433 ฿46.7K

350.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$754 ฿24.6K

-11.57%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pak Kret: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $431 in Pak Kret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pak Kret pays 13% 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 $250 vs $237 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pak Kret earns 13% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $431 in Pak Kret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $880 in Pak Kret – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $880 in Pak Kret versus $1,271 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.