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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,064 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,728 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,393 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% 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 4% lower, Petite Riviere 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.72 MUR 315

77.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.70 MUR 2,091

-4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.16 MUR 335

47.91%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.65 MUR 124

36.60%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.98 MUR 45.74

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.56 MUR 26.26

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.17 MUR 102

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.36 MUR 157

32.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.64 MUR 76.7

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.71 MUR 33.11

164.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.31 MUR 61.5

24.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.32 MUR 108

13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.06 MUR 564

-31.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.07 MUR 284

36.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.88 MUR 603

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.99 MUR 93.1

33.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.00 MUR 93.5

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.45 MUR 68.0

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.65 MUR 124

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.02 MUR 47.80

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.94 MUR 43.92

131.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.84 MUR 39.08

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.80 MUR 37.44

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.77 MUR 317

-41.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.48 MUR 397

20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.80 MUR 84.1

-3.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.19 MUR 102

14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.04 MUR 48.47

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.51 MUR 211

-30.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.62 MUR 123

-8.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$20.09 MUR 940

-84.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.47 MUR 68.9

-13.61%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

-13.75%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

-19.69%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$49.81 MUR 2,330

64.65%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.28 MUR 855

22.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$33.59 MUR 1,572

-11.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.60 MUR 1,759

37.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.22 MUR 291

-20.10%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$156 MUR 7,278

27.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,931 MUR 183.9K

34.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$86.2 MUR 4,034

-57.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$79.3 MUR 3,710

-49.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$134 MUR 6,248

-40.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$95.0 MUR 4,446

-6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$519 MUR 24.3K

85.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$350 MUR 16.4K

32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$953 MUR 44.6K

67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$735 MUR 34.4K

64.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Petite Riviere: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $519 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Petite Riviere. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 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 21% 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,595 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,064 in Petite Riviere. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $156 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 $1,064, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $1,064 versus $1,287 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.