Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Palma Soriano Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Palma Soriano

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,582 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,882 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,181 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 18% less than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Palma Soriano is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.89 CUP 117

144.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$25.23 CUP 606

87.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.03 CUP 121

133.60%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$3.23 CUP 77.6

27.55%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$1.29 CUP 30.88

8.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$0.88 CUP 21.16

3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$2.95 CUP 70.8

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.38 CUP 57.1

197.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.96 CUP 47.10

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$1.43 CUP 34.37

50.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$1.03 CUP 24.68

71.84%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$1.22 CUP 29.25

131.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$6.09 CUP 146

51.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$6.08 CUP 146

51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.21 CUP 269

12.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$1.86 CUP 44.67

58.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$1.21 CUP 29.11

30.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$1.47 CUP 35.22

51.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$1.53 CUP 36.70

54.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$1.02 CUP 24.51

95.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$0.97 CUP 23.29

104.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$1.01 CUP 24.36

22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$1.07 CUP 25.73

13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$3.04 CUP 73.1

51.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.99 CUP 240

5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$2.96 CUP 71.2

-42.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$1.96 CUP 46.92

41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$0.24 CUP 5.75

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

$30.20 CUP 725

-1.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$1.83 CUP 43.85

186.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$0.37 CUP 8.76

886.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$12.88 CUP 309

-55.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$1.18 CUP 28.42

30.51%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$65.7K CUP 1.6M

-65.27%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$46.7K CUP 1.1M

-44.77%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$55.2 CUP 1,325

64.26%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.15 CUP 244

148.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$150 CUP 3,593

-78.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$40.60 CUP 974

69.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$10.12 CUP 243

190.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$0.98 CUP 23.50

395.92%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$100 CUP 2,407

124.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$11.9K CUP 285.6K

-64.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$64.5 CUP 1,549

-26.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$34.65 CUP 831

25.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$83.6 CUP 2,006

-4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$111 CUP 2,652

-17.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$867 CUP 20.8K

25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$791 CUP 19.0K

-48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$742 CUP 17.8K

165.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$646 CUP 15.5K

98.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$322 CUP 7,737

1155.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$326 CUP 7,818

1958.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$40.19 CUP 964

1824.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.33

37.45%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1824% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $216 per month, with Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Palma Soriano. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1824% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $867 in Palma Soriano. 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 Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $100 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,582 in Palma Soriano, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Palma Soriano. 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 $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.