Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Petite Riviere Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Petite Riviere

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,049 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,744 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,439 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Petite Riviere, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Petite Riviere are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Petite Riviere 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$6.36 MUR 296

104.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$38.64 MUR 1,796

19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.63 MUR 355

65.01%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.59 MUR 121

54.44%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.01 MUR 47.01

40.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.55 MUR 25.39

47.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$3.27 MUR 152

-6.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$4.74 MUR 220

43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.57 MUR 72.8

8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.74 MUR 34.48

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.16 MUR 53.9

48.28%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.58 MUR 120

5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$5.39 MUR 250

73.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$6.35 MUR 295

39.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$11.48 MUR 534

11.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.75 MUR 128

13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.72 MUR 126

-43.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.41 MUR 65.4

52.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.91 MUR 135

-19.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.94 MUR 43.93

114.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.03 MUR 47.79

93.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.74 MUR 34.35

67.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.86 MUR 39.93

38.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$6.35 MUR 295

-26.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$8.48 MUR 394

23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.69 MUR 78.5

-6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.39 MUR 111

22.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$4.35 MUR 202

22.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$3.26 MUR 152

14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$21.56 MUR 1,002

-73.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.36 MUR 63.2

13.97%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$36.5K MUR 1.7M

-38.68%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$30.7K MUR 1.4M

-16.60%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$45.17 MUR 2,100

97.65%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$10.59 MUR 492

120.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$29.60 MUR 1,376

7.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$35.10 MUR 1,632

95.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$6.50 MUR 302

-22.15%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$126 MUR 5,868

75.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$7,802 MUR 362.7K

-44.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$76.6 MUR 3,560

-39.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$76.1 MUR 3,536

-41.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$120 MUR 5,573

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$76.8 MUR 3,570

20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$618 MUR 28.7K

73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$418 MUR 19.4K

-6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,283 MUR 59.7K

54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$792 MUR 36.8K

64.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.67

73.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Petite Riviere: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $618 in Petite Riviere. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Petite Riviere. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $219 – making Petite Riviere 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 Petite Riviere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Petite Riviere, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,573 in Petite Riviere. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $1,049 in Petite Riviere. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $126 in Petite Riviere. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Petite Riviere, where all-in costs run around $1,049, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Petite Riviere it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Petite Riviere costs $1,049 versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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