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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,180 in Paszto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,818 in Paszto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,455 in Paszto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Paszto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Paszto 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$11.29 Ft 3,556

3.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$48.47 Ft 15.3K

-13.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.28 Ft 2,609

26.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.45 Ft 771

46.53%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.41 Ft 443

7.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.92 Ft 289

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.64 Ft 831

12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.61 Ft 822

68.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.12 Ft 353

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.47 Ft 463

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.85 Ft 583

-15.68%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.92 Ft 920

-10.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.09 Ft 2,863

-8.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.63 Ft 1,775

48.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.34 Ft 3,573

-4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.17 Ft 683

24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.04 Ft 643

-25.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.01 Ft 633

-6.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.32 Ft 1,362

-49.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.33 Ft 420

39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.30 Ft 409

71.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.49 Ft 469

-28.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.49 Ft 153

122.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$7.53 Ft 2,374

-44.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.80 Ft 1,513

117.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.10 Ft 346

50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.19 Ft 373

119.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.17 Ft 370

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$24.90 Ft 7,847

5.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.86 Ft 902

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.16 Ft 365

106.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$17.05 Ft 5,372

-81.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.77 Ft 556

-25.99%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.2K Ft 9.8M

-4.49%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$36.8K Ft 11.6M

-36.55%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$144 Ft 45.3K

-43.41%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$29.45 Ft 9,279

-23.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$24.35 Ft 7,672

23.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$46.87 Ft 14.8K

12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.53 Ft 5,208

11.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.93 Ft 2,498

-37.96%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$457 Ft 143.8K

-56.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,703 Ft 2.1M

-22.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$89.0 Ft 28.0K

-59.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$26.15 Ft 8,239

53.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$94.5 Ft 29.8K

-15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$104 Ft 32.7K

-16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$451 Ft 142.0K

116.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$343 Ft 107.9K

37.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$627 Ft 197.6K

163.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$539 Ft 169.8K

123.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,894 Ft 911.8K

36.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,633 Ft 829.5K

150.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$752 Ft 236.9K

-10.03%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Paszto: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $451 in Paszto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paszto pays 11% 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 $48.00 in Paszto. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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 7% 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, salaries run 11% lower in Paszto. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $451 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 $48.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,180 in Paszto – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,180 in Paszto versus $1,260 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 $1,180 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.