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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,195 in Pecs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,782 in Pecs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,369 in Pecs.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Pecs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Pecs 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$8.43 Ft 2,669

39.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$42.85 Ft 13.6K

-2.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.42 Ft 2,664

24.82%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.21 Ft 700

62.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.13 Ft 359

33.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.91 Ft 287

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.54 Ft 488

92.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.22 Ft 704

98.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.10 Ft 347

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.57 Ft 496

19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.90 Ft 600

-17.89%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.55 Ft 806

2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$9.20 Ft 2,912

-9.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$5.91 Ft 1,870

41.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$14.48 Ft 4,580

-25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.02 Ft 639

34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.01 Ft 636

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.10 Ft 666

-10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$3.53 Ft 1,116

-37.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.23 Ft 388

51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.23 Ft 389

81.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.79 Ft 566

-40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.54 Ft 172

101.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$7.25 Ft 2,295

-42.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$4.72 Ft 1,492

120.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.22 Ft 387

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.03 Ft 641

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$1.47 Ft 465

-63.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$24.74 Ft 7,826

5.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$3.15 Ft 997

-2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.11 Ft 352

116.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$22.59 Ft 7,147

-86.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.70 Ft 539

-22.94%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$26.9K Ft 8.5M

10.71%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$31.6K Ft 10.0M

-26.29%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$163 Ft 51.4K

-49.99%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$27.71 Ft 8,769

-18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$19.50 Ft 6,171

54.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$44.25 Ft 14.0K

19.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$21.90 Ft 6,929

-16.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$7.98 Ft 2,525

-38.35%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$402 Ft 127.1K

-50.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$7,197 Ft 2.3M

-28.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$93.0 Ft 29.4K

-61.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$43.52 Ft 13.8K

-7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$94.2 Ft 29.8K

-15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$102 Ft 32.3K

-15.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$489 Ft 154.8K

99.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$368 Ft 116.4K

27.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$674 Ft 213.4K

144.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$561 Ft 177.6K

114.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$3,479 Ft 1.1M

13.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$2,891 Ft 914.7K

128.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$1,108 Ft 350.4K

-38.91%

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 Pecs: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $489 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pecs pays 64% 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 $43.00 in Pecs. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $233, with Pecs 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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pecs is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Pecs. 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 $489 in Pecs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pecs runs roughly 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $402 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,195 in Pecs versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pecs but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pecs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pecs is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Pecs 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 Pecs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.