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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,226 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,735 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,244 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 42% cheaper than Pétion-Ville, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Playa del Carmen sits 3% below the global median, while Pétion-Ville is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$14.35 HTG 1,874

-18.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$91.8 HTG 12.0K

-54.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.72 HTG 1,531

-9.22%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.81 HTG 498

-7.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$3.14 HTG 411

-51.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.50 HTG 196

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$7.51 HTG 981

-60.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$9.33 HTG 1,218

-52.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.08 HTG 271

-33.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.63 HTG 344

-28.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$3.02 HTG 395

-45.70%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.79 HTG 494

-33.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.96 HTG 909

19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.08 HTG 793

37.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.43 HTG 1,232

13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.78 HTG 494

-31.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.96 HTG 126

52.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.76 HTG 99.1

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.33 HTG 305

-10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$7.39 HTG 965

-75.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.24 HTG 292

-2.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.16 HTG 151

-10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.02 HTG 133

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.54 HTG 592

-10.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.52 HTG 1,504

-10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.52 HTG 198

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.23 HTG 292

15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.40 HTG 52.0

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$38.50 HTG 5,028

-31.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.39 HTG 51.0

735.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$14.06 HTG 1,836

-76.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.40 HTG 183

-6.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.2K HTG 4.6M

-13.90%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$24.5K HTG 3.2M

-4.24%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$170 HTG 22.2K

-51.17%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$46.86 HTG 6,119

-52.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$226 HTG 29.5K

-87.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$60.8 HTG 7,938

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.34 HTG 2,003

19.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.07 HTG 662

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

$201 MX$3,473

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$90.3 HTG 11.8K

-59.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$75.5 HTG 9,864

-47.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$152 HTG 19.8K

-48.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$192 HTG 25.0K

-54.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$1,172 HTG 153.0K

-17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$915 HTG 119.4K

-48.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$3,197 HTG 417.5K

-48.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$2,307 HTG 301.3K

-47.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,450 HTG 319.9K

61.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,883 HTG 245.9K

245.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$765 HTG 99.9K

-13.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-36.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pétion-Ville: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,172 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 15% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.0 in Pétion-Ville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $272 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $2,226 in Pétion-Ville – roughly 72% apart. Pétion-Ville costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,339 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 46% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Pétion-Ville, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Pétion-Ville at $2,226. 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $2,226 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.