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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $980 in Petropolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,487 in Petropolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,993 in Petropolis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Petropolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Petropolis 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.76 R$29.52

101.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$28.16 R$144

67.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.00 R$35.87

69.71%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.67 R$8.57

138.32%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.33 R$6.81

7.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.60 R$3.07

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.14 R$5.85

179.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.55 R$23.34

49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.93 R$4.78

80.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.54 R$7.89

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.40 R$7.15

22.14%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.95 R$10.00

40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.01 R$46.17

6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.09 R$20.96

120.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$9.53 R$48.83

34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.61 R$8.23

79.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.17 R$5.99

28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$0.88 R$4.52

144.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.20 R$6.14

88.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.68 R$3.48

191.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.78 R$3.99

155.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.52 R$2.68

136.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.56 R$2.87

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.12 R$10.84

114.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$5.82 R$29.80

78.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.02 R$5.25

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.34 R$6.87

114.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.05 R$5.40

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$49.32 R$253

-41.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.15 R$5.91

368.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.93 R$4.75

301.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$7.64 R$39.15

-24.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.20 R$6.14

28.33%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$20.5K R$104.9K

10.19%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$30.7K R$157.5K

-15.20%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$70.8 R$363

29.10%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$9.61 R$49.25

162.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$18.74 R$96.0

66.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$31.29 R$160

114.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$30.67 R$157

-5.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.84 R$35.06

-28.95%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$355 R$1,818

-36.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$10.6K R$54.6K

-60.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$54.2 R$278

-13.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$49.35 R$253

-10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$87.7 R$449

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$68.5 R$351

35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$514 R$2,632

106.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$393 R$2,014

-0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$820 R$4,203

161.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$628 R$3,218

102.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,724 R$14.0K

46.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,987 R$10.2K

227.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$595 R$3,049

27.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.87

-3.54%

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 Petropolis: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $514 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $171 per month, with Petropolis cheaper across the board.

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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petropolis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $514 in Petropolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Petropolis – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $980 in Petropolis versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Petropolis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.