Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pétion-Ville Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pétion-Ville

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,158 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,551 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,943 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 40% cheaper than Pétion-Ville, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Pétion-Ville is 57% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$14.26 HTG 1,859

-17.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$92.0 HTG 12.0K

-49.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$11.60 HTG 1,512

0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.77 HTG 492

8.49%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$3.14 HTG 409

-56.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.48 HTG 194

-43.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$7.70 HTG 1,004

-56.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$9.21 HTG 1,200

-24.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$2.14 HTG 279

-19.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$2.58 HTG 336

-12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$2.97 HTG 387

-40.40%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$3.57 HTG 465

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$6.74 HTG 879

36.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.03 HTG 787

47.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.24 HTG 1,205

36.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.72 HTG 484

-18.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$0.94 HTG 123

67.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$0.75 HTG 97.2

184.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$2.33 HTG 304

-3.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$7.47 HTG 974

-73.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$2.26 HTG 295

-8.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.13 HTG 147

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.97 HTG 126

23.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$4.55 HTG 593

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$11.27 HTG 1,469

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.48 HTG 193

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.27 HTG 295

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.39 HTG 51.5

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$38.36 HTG 5,002

-22.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.37 HTG 48.22

1372.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.36 HTG 47.08

927.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$13.80 HTG 1,799

-56.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.46 HTG 190

6.16%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$34.7K HTG 4.5M

-35.67%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$24.5K HTG 3.2M

6.08%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$169 HTG 22.0K

-47.29%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$46.11 HTG 6,012

-45.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$230 HTG 30.0K

-86.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$15.21 HTG 1,983

90.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

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

$225 MX$3,802

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$92.5 HTG 12.1K

-48.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$76.0 HTG 9,905

-40.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$156 HTG 20.3K

-47.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$191 HTG 24.9K

-51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,167 HTG 152.2K

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$911 HTG 118.7K

-55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$3,255 HTG 424.4K

-40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$2,271 HTG 296.1K

-42.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,508 HTG 327.0K

59.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,840 HTG 239.9K

260.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$757 HTG 98.6K

-1.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-36.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Pétion-Ville: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,167 in Pétion-Ville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Pétion-Ville, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.0 in Pétion-Ville. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $268 in Pétion-Ville – so Pétion-Ville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Pétion-Ville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $2,158 in Pétion-Ville – roughly 67% apart. Pétion-Ville costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,237 in Pétion-Ville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Pétion-Ville – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Pétion-Ville at $2,158. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pétion-Ville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,293 in Playa del Carmen to $2,158 in Pétion-Ville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pétion-Ville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.