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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $757 in Petrolina, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,220 in Petrolina, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,683 in Petrolina, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Petrolina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Petrolina are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Petrolina 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.71 R$29.43

103.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$31.72 R$163

48.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.36 R$37.92

61.41%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.92 R$9.89

107.29%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.24 R$6.40

15.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.73 R$3.78

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.81 R$9.34

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.00 R$15.45

126.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.15 R$5.92

46.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.94 R$4.86

134.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.15 R$5.93

48.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.61 R$8.28

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.04 R$46.59

5.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.69 R$19.01

144.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.58 R$39.04

69.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.38 R$12.26

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.88 R$4.53

70.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.12 R$5.78

91.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.59 R$8.18

42.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.23 R$6.31

60.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.81 R$4.19

145.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.80 R$4.15

53.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.47 R$2.43

155.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.14 R$11.01

112.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.11 R$36.62

45.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.35 R$6.95

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.76 R$9.05

63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.93 R$4.77

-35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$40.50 R$209

-28.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.25 R$6.44

331.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.89 R$4.60

319.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$8.81 R$45.38

-34.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.28 R$6.57

20.31%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$20.7K R$106.6K

9.00%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.0K R$128.9K

4.12%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$66.7 R$343

37.10%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$8.79 R$45.30

186.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$11.78 R$60.7

165.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$18.21 R$93.8

269.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$23.64 R$122

23.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.95 R$20.33

23.04%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$241 R$1,243

-7.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,355 R$37.9K

-42.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$19.16 R$98.7

145.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$48.78 R$251

-9.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$53.6 R$276

49.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$83.8 R$432

10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$275 R$1,419

285.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$226 R$1,162

73.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$569 R$2,930

277.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$401 R$2,064

217.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,670 R$8,606

139.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,273 R$6,556

410.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$582 R$2,997

30.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.06

3.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Petrolina: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 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 30% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Petrolina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $169 – 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 67% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,135 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 $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $241 in Petrolina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% 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 $757, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $757 versus $1,266 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.