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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,573 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,875 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,176 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 20% less than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Palma Soriano is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.96 CUP 119

141.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$24.89 CUP 597

67.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$4.89 CUP 117

119.84%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.15 CUP 75.6

11.11%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.28 CUP 30.62

13.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.93 CUP 22.33

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.98 CUP 71.4

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.50 CUP 60.0

80.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.97 CUP 47.25

-27.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.42 CUP 34.11

29.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.97 CUP 23.35

61.86%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.23 CUP 29.42

104.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.96 CUP 143

38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.12 CUP 147

37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.17 CUP 268

-4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.83 CUP 43.90

42.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.18 CUP 28.41

22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.51 CUP 36.30

29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.53 CUP 36.82

36.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.03 CUP 24.65

79.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.98 CUP 23.46

121.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.02 CUP 24.42

0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.12 CUP 26.77

-4.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.98 CUP 71.6

37.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$10.03 CUP 241

1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$3.05 CUP 73.1

-44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.04 CUP 49.00

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.24 CUP 5.71

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$30.34 CUP 728

-14.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.75 CUP 41.99

84.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.37 CUP 8.77

551.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$13.14 CUP 315

-75.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.17 CUP 27.98

12.82%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$66.4K CUP 1.6M

-55.25%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$45.9K CUP 1.1M

-48.44%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$54.1 CUP 1,299

51.51%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$9.97 CUP 239

130.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$148 CUP 3,552

-79.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$39.39 CUP 945

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$9.97 CUP 239

85.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$0.98 CUP 23.44

408.16%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$100 CUP 2,404

97.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$11.8K CUP 283.0K

-54.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$65.8 CUP 1,579

-45.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$35.05 CUP 841

15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$85.2 CUP 2,046

-7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$109 CUP 2,616

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$867 CUP 20.8K

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$793 CUP 19.0K

-40.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$760 CUP 18.2K

116.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$659 CUP 15.8K

83.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$325 CUP 7,807

1146.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$323 CUP 7,758

1901.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$40.12 CUP 963

1529.84%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1530% 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 $217 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 25% 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 1530% 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: $947 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 17% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,573 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 $1,256 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 25% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.