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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,568 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,880 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 17% less than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Palma Soriano is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.01 CUP 120

134.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$25.43 CUP 610

63.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.93 CUP 118

115.82%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.15 CUP 75.5

11.75%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.26 CUP 30.28

19.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.92 CUP 22.04

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.04 CUP 72.9

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.42 CUP 58.1

83.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.05 CUP 49.13

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.42 CUP 34.16

33.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.02 CUP 24.41

60.78%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.21 CUP 29.12

107.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.16 CUP 148

35.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.12 CUP 147

36.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.82 CUP 260

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.90 CUP 45.58

36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.22 CUP 29.37

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.46 CUP 35.01

30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.46 CUP 34.97

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.99 CUP 23.75

79.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.98 CUP 23.53

123.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.02 CUP 24.41

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.12 CUP 26.96

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.06 CUP 73.4

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.89 CUP 237

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.04 CUP 48.99

26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.26 CUP 6.28

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$29.80 CUP 715

-11.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.82 CUP 43.75

79.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.36 CUP 8.69

591.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$12.72 CUP 305

-74.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.12 CUP 26.84

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

-53.70%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$46.2K CUP 1.1M

-49.26%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$54.2 CUP 1,300

53.04%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$10.05 CUP 241

121.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$146 CUP 3,499

-79.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$40.49 CUP 972

27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$9.92 CUP 238

84.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$0.98 CUP 23.45

417.35%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$99.9 CUP 2,397

101.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$12.2K CUP 292.5K

-57.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$64.0 CUP 1,536

-42.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.89 CUP 837

14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$86.6 CUP 2,079

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$111 CUP 2,674

-21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$880 CUP 21.1K

10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$798 CUP 19.2K

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$743 CUP 17.8K

120.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$654 CUP 15.7K

86.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$314 CUP 7,545

1155.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$330 CUP 7,920

1869.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$39.79 CUP 955

1568.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.33

37.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1569% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 1569% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 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 13% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $99.9 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,568 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 $1,297 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.