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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,171 in Paszto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,789 in Paszto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,407 in Paszto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than Paszto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Paszto 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.46 Ft 3,469

3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$49.27 Ft 14.9K

-12.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.09 Ft 2,447

31.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.49 Ft 753

38.55%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.41 Ft 428

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.98 Ft 296

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.67 Ft 807

13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.55 Ft 771

80.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.07 Ft 323

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.54 Ft 464

20.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.79 Ft 540

-10.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.85 Ft 862

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.50 Ft 2,873

-13.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.66 Ft 1,713

47.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.08 Ft 3,351

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.23 Ft 676

17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.01 Ft 609

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.07 Ft 628

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.11 Ft 1,244

-49.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.34 Ft 406

38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.29 Ft 389

75.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.48 Ft 449

-28.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.50 Ft 151

118.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.30 Ft 2,209

-43.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.80 Ft 1,452

116.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.11 Ft 335

54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.25 Ft 380

108.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.16 Ft 352

-53.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$24.67 Ft 7,464

9.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.82 Ft 854

10.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.16 Ft 350

116.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.56 Ft 5,314

-82.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.77 Ft 535

-28.25%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.1K Ft 9.7M

-5.26%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.8K Ft 10.8M

-34.12%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$144 Ft 43.6K

-42.42%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$29.44 Ft 8,909

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$24.15 Ft 7,307

21.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$47.28 Ft 14.3K

7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.48 Ft 4,987

11.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.79 Ft 2,357

-36.71%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$462 Ft 139.9K

-57.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,748 Ft 2.0M

-21.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$90.9 Ft 27.5K

-59.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$25.39 Ft 7,682

57.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$93.5 Ft 28.3K

-14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$105 Ft 31.8K

-14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$450 Ft 136.2K

112.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$343 Ft 103.9K

38.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$627 Ft 189.8K

162.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$523 Ft 158.3K

134.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,691 Ft 1.1M

6.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,322 Ft 702.6K

178.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$792 Ft 239.7K

-15.81%

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 Paszto: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $450 in Paszto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paszto pays 19% 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 $49.00 in Paszto. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $223, with Paszto cheaper for home cooking.

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 Paszto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paszto wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paszto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Paszto earns 19% 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 $450 in Paszto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Paszto – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,171 in Paszto – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,171 in Paszto versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paszto but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Paszto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Paszto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,171 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paszto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Paszto 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 Paszto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.