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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,055 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,721 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,387 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% 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 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$6.61 MUR 313

77.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$44.21 MUR 2,093

-5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$7.08 MUR 335

47.03%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.64 MUR 125

36.74%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.95 MUR 45.09

53.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.56 MUR 26.48

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$2.17 MUR 102

34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$3.29 MUR 156

40.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.61 MUR 76.4

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.66 MUR 31.04

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.32 MUR 62.5

18.94%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.31 MUR 109

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$11.78 MUR 558

-28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$6.21 MUR 294

38.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$12.49 MUR 591

-11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$2.01 MUR 95.1

34.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.93 MUR 91.2

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.46 MUR 69.0

30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$2.63 MUR 125

-17.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.03 MUR 48.57

81.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$1.01 MUR 47.61

120.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.85 MUR 40.33

27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.79 MUR 37.58

35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$6.77 MUR 320

-38.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$8.44 MUR 400

21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.75 MUR 82.6

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.17 MUR 103

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$1.00 MUR 47.49

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$4.41 MUR 209

-27.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$2.69 MUR 127

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$20.10 MUR 952

-84.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.46 MUR 69.1

-9.59%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$35.6K MUR 1.7M

-15.23%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

-17.50%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$50.0 MUR 2,368

62.67%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$18.62 MUR 882

20.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$33.54 MUR 1,588

-10.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$38.93 MUR 1,843

32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$5.90 MUR 279

-12.54%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$157 MUR 7,424

28.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$3,922 MUR 185.7K

35.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$85.8 MUR 4,063

-58.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$78.2 MUR 3,704

-48.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$132 MUR 6,243

-40.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$94.3 MUR 4,463

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$504 MUR 23.9K

88.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$353 MUR 16.7K

35.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$934 MUR 44.2K

73.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$710 MUR 33.6K

72.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Petite Riviere: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Petite Riviere. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Playa del Carmen vs $230 in Petite Riviere – so Petite Riviere 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 Petite Riviere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,583 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $1,055 in Petite Riviere. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $157 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 $1,055, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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 $1,055 versus $1,294 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.