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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,215 in Permet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,859 in Permet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,503 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 4% lower, Permet 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$11.58 ALL 945

3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$58.7 ALL 4,790

-27.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.49 ALL 775

11.59%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.97 ALL 161

83.76%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.87 ALL 153

-21.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.93 ALL 75.6

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.97 ALL 243

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.20 ALL 343

6.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.13 ALL 174

-32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.12 ALL 91.7

67.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.24 ALL 183

-27.23%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.79 ALL 309

-30.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$13.26 ALL 1,082

-38.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.55 ALL 616

9.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$15.66 ALL 1,279

-29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.78 ALL 145

48.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.65 ALL 216

-43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.98 ALL 162

0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.91 ALL 156

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.38 ALL 112

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.32 ALL 108

65.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.50 ALL 123

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.80 ALL 65.6

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.22 ALL 344

-5.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.55 ALL 861

-3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.59 ALL 130

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.16 ALL 176

15.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.45 ALL 37.08

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.97 ALL 1,549

42.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.48 ALL 284

-9.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.10 ALL 253

-22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$17.96 ALL 1,466

-82.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.08 ALL 170

-38.94%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$40.2K ALL 3.3M

-23.23%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-33.42%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$109 ALL 8,907

-24.82%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.64 ALL 1,441

27.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.78 ALL 1,533

57.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$54.1 ALL 4,416

-4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$24.90 ALL 2,033

-25.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$9.66 ALL 789

-48.55%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$156 ALL 12.8K

26.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$5,516 ALL 450.4K

-4.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$68.4 ALL 5,584

-46.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$50.1 ALL 4,093

-20.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$106 ALL 8,616

-24.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$127 ALL 10.3K

-29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$454 ALL 37.0K

112.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$337 ALL 27.5K

37.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$610 ALL 49.8K

161.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$430 ALL 35.1K

180.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,727 ALL 141.0K

128.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,396 ALL 114.0K

361.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Permet: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $454 in Permet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Permet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $279 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 ($1,287 vs $1,215 including rent). Permet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,823 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $454 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 $59.0 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,215 in Permet – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Permet versus $1,287 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.