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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,148 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,661 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,174 in Paks.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than Paks, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Paks 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.50 Ft 2,571

39.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.11 Ft 8,808

47.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.69 Ft 2,023

59.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.82 Ft 248

320.73%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.06 Ft 321

41.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.72 Ft 219

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.12 Ft 338

170.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.31 Ft 397

251.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.09 Ft 329

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.54 Ft 466

20.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.84 Ft 557

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.95 Ft 893

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.59 Ft 2,902

-13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.58 Ft 1,688

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.99 Ft 3,324

-3.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.03 Ft 614

29.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.95 Ft 591

-23.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.08 Ft 629

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.21 Ft 1,273

-50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.39 Ft 419

33.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.29 Ft 391

75.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.47 Ft 446

-27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.49 Ft 149

122.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.24 Ft 2,191

-42.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.61 Ft 2,001

57.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.14 Ft 344

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.20 Ft 363

117.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.17 Ft 354

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$24.58 Ft 7,437

9.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.83 Ft 856

10.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.28 Ft 388

96.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.35 Ft 5,250

-81.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.76 Ft 533

-27.84%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.3K Ft 9.5M

-2.95%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$36.2K Ft 11.0M

-34.93%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$145 Ft 43.8K

-42.62%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$30.24 Ft 9,149

-24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$25.03 Ft 7,573

17.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$46.21 Ft 14.0K

10.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.68 Ft 5,047

9.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.84 Ft 2,372

-37.12%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$460 Ft 139.3K

-57.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,756 Ft 2.0M

-21.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$87.6 Ft 26.5K

-57.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$26.14 Ft 7,909

52.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.0 Ft 28.7K

-15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$105 Ft 31.7K

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$454 Ft 137.3K

110.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$342 Ft 103.6K

39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$628 Ft 189.9K

162.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$537 Ft 162.6K

127.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,305 Ft 999.9K

18.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,492 Ft 753.9K

159.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,361 Ft 411.7K

-50.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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 Paks: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $454 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 104% 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 $29.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $226 per month, with Paks 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 Paks: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Paks differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,148 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Paks earns 104% 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 $454 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Paks – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Paks versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Paks the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Paks 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 Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.