Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Petrolina Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Petrolina

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $698 in Petrolina, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,094 in Petrolina, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,490 in Petrolina, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 81% more than Petrolina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Petrolina are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Petrolina 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$5.55 R$27.57

110.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$26.50 R$132

58.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.41 R$31.86

62.25%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.81 R$8.97

99.45%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.07 R$5.34

37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.62 R$3.09

46.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.84 R$9.14

64.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.68 R$13.32

66.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.01 R$5.04

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.83 R$4.13

121.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.06 R$5.26

51.89%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.52 R$7.58

69.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.92 R$39.34

7.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$2.65 R$13.19

220.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.31 R$36.36

50.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.01 R$10.01

35.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$0.77 R$3.84

94.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.16 R$5.75

68.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.52 R$7.55

39.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.19 R$5.92

56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.69 R$3.42

214.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.69 R$3.42

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.43 R$2.12

144.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.11 R$10.48

98.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$7.01 R$34.85

46.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.28 R$6.35

30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.00 R$9.95

24.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.94 R$4.65

-42.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$37.97 R$189

-30.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.10 R$5.46

181.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.71 R$3.53

246.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.56 R$32.60

-50.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.14 R$5.65

10.53%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$20.4K R$101.4K

47.78%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$20.0K R$99.2K

17.43%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$61.1 R$303

37.58%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$13.65 R$67.9

62.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$8.96 R$44.54

230.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$15.94 R$79.3

230.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.87 R$109

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$3.54 R$17.61

39.83%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$225 R$1,121

-12.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,508 R$32.3K

-18.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$17.67 R$87.8

103.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$42.31 R$210

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$50.3 R$250

56.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$77.5 R$385

11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$254 R$1,261

284.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$207 R$1,029

127.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$526 R$2,616

203.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$376 R$1,868

223.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,860 R$9,243

116.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,107 R$5,501

494.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$591 R$2,935

20.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Petrolina: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 in Petrolina. 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 21% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $27 in Petrolina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $152 – making Petrolina 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 Petrolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 81% more than Petrolina, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,047 in Petrolina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $225 in Petrolina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Petrolina, where all-in costs run around $698, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Petrolina 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. Petrolina costs $698 versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Petrolina. 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.