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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,201 in Permet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,851 in Permet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,502 in Permet.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than Permet, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.96 ALL 977

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$59.7 ALL 4,877

-28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.58 ALL 783

11.17%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.95 ALL 160

76.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.84 ALL 150

-18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.99 ALL 80.5

-4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.01 ALL 246

0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.14 ALL 338

11.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.13 ALL 174

-35.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.08 ALL 88.6

71.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.19 ALL 179

-26.48%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.85 ALL 314

-32.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.86 ALL 1,051

-35.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.87 ALL 643

6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.95 ALL 1,303

-33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.72 ALL 141

52.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.74 ALL 224

-45.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.97 ALL 161

-2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.91 ALL 156

9.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.32 ALL 108

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.28 ALL 104

76.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.47 ALL 120

-27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.79 ALL 64.9

37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.28 ALL 349

-3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.89 ALL 889

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.60 ALL 130

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.07 ALL 169

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.45 ALL 36.56

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.55 ALL 1,516

45.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.59 ALL 293

-12.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.15 ALL 258

-20.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.98 ALL 1,469

-82.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.08 ALL 170

-38.94%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$39.9K ALL 3.3M

-23.84%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

-32.77%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$106 ALL 8,651

-21.62%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.72 ALL 1,447

28.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.36 ALL 1,500

60.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$54.7 ALL 4,472

-6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$25.44 ALL 2,078

-27.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.34 ALL 763

-47.22%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$161 ALL 13.1K

22.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,569 ALL 455.0K

-5.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$68.6 ALL 5,601

-46.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$51.3 ALL 4,189

-22.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$107 ALL 8,764

-25.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$131 ALL 10.7K

-31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$446 ALL 36.4K

114.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$343 ALL 28.0K

39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$615 ALL 50.2K

167.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$426 ALL 34.8K

187.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,029 ALL 165.7K

93.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,124 ALL 91.8K

474.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.52

106.88%

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 Permet: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $446 in Permet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $60.0 in Permet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $280 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Permet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Permet differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,201 including rent). Permet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,801 in Permet to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $446 in Permet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Permet – a meal for two runs $60.0 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 $1,201 in Permet – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,201 in Permet versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Permet but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Permet 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 Permet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.