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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,178 in Pecs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,771 in Pecs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,364 in Pecs.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 8% more expensive than Pecs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Pecs 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.52 Ft 2,577

39.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$43.59 Ft 13.2K

-1.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.88 Ft 2,685

19.93%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.22 Ft 672

55.41%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.14 Ft 345

31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.93 Ft 282

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.57 Ft 474

92.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.12 Ft 643

117.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.10 Ft 333

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.56 Ft 473

18.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.85 Ft 559

-12.97%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.44 Ft 738

6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.49 Ft 2,871

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.09 Ft 1,843

37.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.07 Ft 4,258

-24.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.92 Ft 581

36.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.08 Ft 630

-28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.19 Ft 662

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.49 Ft 1,056

-40.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.21 Ft 366

53.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.23 Ft 372

83.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.78 Ft 538

-40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.58 Ft 175

87.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.11 Ft 2,152

-41.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.93 Ft 1,491

110.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.16 Ft 351

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.03 Ft 613

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.42 Ft 431

-61.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$24.79 Ft 7,499

8.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.23 Ft 978

-3.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.16 Ft 349

116.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$22.69 Ft 6,864

-86.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.68 Ft 508

-24.40%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.5K Ft 8.3M

10.34%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.4K Ft 9.5M

-24.95%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$161 Ft 48.8K

-48.55%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$27.67 Ft 8,372

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$19.37 Ft 5,861

52.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$43.45 Ft 13.1K

17.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.36 Ft 6,463

-14.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.09 Ft 2,447

-39.06%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$410 Ft 123.9K

-51.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,176 Ft 2.2M

-26.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$90.7 Ft 27.5K

-59.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$45.11 Ft 13.6K

-11.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$93.9 Ft 28.4K

-14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$102 Ft 30.8K

-12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$490 Ft 148.2K

95.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$364 Ft 110.0K

31.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$679 Ft 205.3K

142.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$565 Ft 171.0K

116.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,588 Ft 1.1M

9.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$3,073 Ft 929.8K

110.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,123 Ft 339.9K

-40.62%

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 Pecs: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $490 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pecs pays 68% 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 $44.00 in Pecs. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pecs earns 68% 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 $490 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,178 in Pecs versus $1,271 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 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.