Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pardis

For one person, living is cheaper in Pardis: $522 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Pardis
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Pardis Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Pardis

🇮🇷 Iran

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Pardis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Pardis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Pardis.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Pardis $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $821 in Pardis.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Pardis $821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,119 in Pardis.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Pardis $1,119

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 130% more expensive than in Pardis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Pardis 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$3.04 $3.04

250.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$16.10 $16.10

172.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$4.03 $4.03

192.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$0.48 $0.48

689.58%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.52 $0.52

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.51 $0.51

62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.71 $0.71

98.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.48 $0.48

358.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$2.01 $2.01

-26.87%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.23 $1.23

103.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$2.54 $2.54

187.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$1.96 $1.96

305.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$9.85 $9.85

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.02 $1.02

184.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$0.99 $0.99

39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$0.48 $0.48

418.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$0.58 $0.58

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$0.10 $0.10

1920.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.48 $0.48

295.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.54 $0.54

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.28 $0.28

342.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.82 $0.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.47 $2.47

72.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.16 $0.16

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$9.50 $9.50

188.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.48 $0.48

891.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.29 $0.29

1020.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$0.98 $0.98

450.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.09 $0.09

1600.00%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$50.5K $50.5K

-57.99%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$45.3K $45.3K

-48.69%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$13.13 $13.13

535.87%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$1.60 $1.60

1349.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$3.95 $3.95

598.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$18.78 $18.78

200.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$13.67 $13.67

106.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$2.04 $2.04

145.10%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$106 $106

95.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$2,586 $2,586

102.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$26.19 $26.19

65.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$37.70 $37.70

12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$119 $119

-38.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$74.2 $74.2

19.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$286 $286

248.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$212 $212

80.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$797 $797

110.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$353 $353

206.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$1,134 $1,134

244.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$537 $537

1043.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$198 $198

321.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-52.29%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pardis: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Pardis

$212 40.7% 44.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Pardis

$95 18.1% 63.3% $163

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Pardis

$46 8.9% 76.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Pardis

$19 3.6% 86.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Pardis

$116 22.1% 3.9% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Pardis

$23 4.4% 65.6% $44

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Pardis

$12 2.3% 76.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $286 in Pardis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $16 in Pardis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $95 per month, with Pardis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Pardis

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

18:10 6:10 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

73,363

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Pardis 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pardis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pardis wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pardis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 4.2 times higher, 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 in Pardis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pardis – a meal for two runs $16 versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Pardis – Pardis is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $522 in Pardis versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Pardis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pardis 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.

Expats usually find Pardis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.