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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $695 in Petrolina, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,095 in Petrolina, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,494 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 5% lower, Petrolina 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.30 R$26.89

121.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$26.60 R$135

57.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.25 R$31.73

68.16%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.77 R$8.99

102.82%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.12 R$5.70

34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.65 R$3.31

41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.82 R$9.24

62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.75 R$13.96

60.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.06 R$5.36

32.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.84 R$4.26

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.09 R$5.54

43.12%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.52 R$7.70

71.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.94 R$40.31

4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.67 R$13.52

212.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.18 R$36.45

51.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.10 R$10.65

29.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.83 R$4.21

81.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.19 R$6.06

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.45 R$7.38

51.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.15 R$5.84

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.75 R$3.79

197.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.75 R$3.80

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.43 R$2.18

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.17 R$10.99

93.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.80 R$34.52

53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.22 R$6.20

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.99 R$10.12

31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.88 R$4.46

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$37.87 R$192

-30.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.09 R$5.56

182.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.71 R$3.59

238.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.26 R$31.79

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.15 R$5.81

13.91%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$21.0K R$106.4K

42.22%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$19.7K R$99.9K

18.51%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$61.5 R$312

32.08%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$13.58 R$68.9

66.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$9.05 R$45.90

232.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$16.03 R$81.4

230.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.59 R$110

-14.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.53 R$17.93

39.38%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$225 R$1,144

-10.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,425 R$32.6K

-19.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$17.98 R$91.3

99.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$42.36 R$215

-5.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$49.32 R$250

61.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$75.7 R$384

14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$250 R$1,269

291.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$214 R$1,086

119.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$534 R$2,708

209.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$376 R$1,910

219.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,458 R$7,399

171.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,093 R$5,544

504.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$575 R$2,916

17.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Petrolina: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $250 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 18% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,043 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 $201 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 65% 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 $695, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $695 versus $1,260 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.