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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,220 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,705 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,189 in Pétion-Ville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 43% cheaper than Pétion-Ville, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Pétion-Ville is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$14.38 HTG 1,875

-16.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$92.9 HTG 12.1K

-55.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$11.40 HTG 1,486

-5.70%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.80 HTG 495

-7.89%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$3.01 HTG 393

-51.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.50 HTG 196

-41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$7.78 HTG 1,015

-62.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$9.17 HTG 1,196

-50.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.20 HTG 286

-35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.65 HTG 346

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.04 HTG 397

-48.36%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.78 HTG 493

-33.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.08 HTG 924

16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.00 HTG 782

40.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.02 HTG 1,176

18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.73 HTG 487

-30.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.89 HTG 115

61.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.75 HTG 98.2

161.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.24 HTG 292

-6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$7.22 HTG 941

-74.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.27 HTG 296

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.11 HTG 145

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.01 HTG 132

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.68 HTG 611

-12.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$11.43 HTG 1,490

-11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.54 HTG 201

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.16 HTG 281

17.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.37 HTG 48.01

37.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$37.61 HTG 4,904

-30.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.39 HTG 50.9

728.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$13.97 HTG 1,821

-76.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.41 HTG 184

-6.38%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.9K HTG 4.5M

-14.80%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.2K HTG 3.3M

-6.00%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$169 HTG 22.1K

-51.61%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$45.64 HTG 5,950

-49.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$232 HTG 30.3K

-87.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$60.8 HTG 7,926

-14.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$15.59 HTG 2,033

18.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.08 HTG 662

-1.97%

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

$197 MX$3,438

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$90.6 HTG 11.8K

-60.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$76.0 HTG 9,911

-46.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$153 HTG 19.9K

-48.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$189 HTG 24.6K

-52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$1,136 HTG 148.2K

-16.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$938 HTG 122.3K

-49.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$3,251 HTG 423.9K

-49.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$2,335 HTG 304.4K

-48.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,526 HTG 329.3K

60.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,837 HTG 239.5K

252.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$773 HTG 100.8K

-15.38%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pétion-Ville: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,136 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 18% 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 $93.0 in Pétion-Ville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $270 – 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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $2,220 in Pétion-Ville – roughly 77% apart. Pétion-Ville costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,330 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 44% 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 $1,256, than in Pétion-Ville at $2,220. 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $2,220 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.