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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $743 in Petropolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,203 in Petropolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,662 in Petropolis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than Petropolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Petropolis 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.38 R$31.84

87.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.28 R$126

69.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.59 R$32.89

60.70%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.71 R$8.52

111.70%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.06 R$5.27

38.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.59 R$2.92

59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.10 R$5.47

180.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.37 R$11.84

88.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.13 R$5.62

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.45 R$7.22

29.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.38 R$6.87

18.12%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.86 R$9.29

41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.50 R$42.43

-3.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.57 R$17.81

132.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.39 R$36.88

50.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.36 R$6.80

94.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.06 R$5.31

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.79 R$3.96

151.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.36 R$6.77

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.27 R$6.36

40.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.96 R$4.79

127.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.43 R$2.15

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.56 R$2.78

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.03 R$10.11

95.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.11 R$30.49

66.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.93 R$4.67

86.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.43 R$7.12

74.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.97 R$4.85

-46.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$45.83 R$229

-41.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.02 R$5.11

207.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.69 R$3.46

247.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.29 R$36.38

-57.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.03 R$5.16

23.30%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$13.3K R$66.6K

131.36%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$17.9K R$89.4K

30.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$62.2 R$310

31.87%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.68 R$53.3

110.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.30 R$91.3

62.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$26.46 R$132

96.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$35.25 R$176

-47.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.86 R$29.25

-15.19%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$192 R$960

2.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,903 R$24.5K

7.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$37.64 R$188

-3.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$32.91 R$164

21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$85.3 R$426

-6.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$57.7 R$288

54.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$354 R$1,764

172.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$191 R$951

143.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$542 R$2,705

194.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$421 R$2,101

187.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,637 R$13.2K

49.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,832 R$9,144

251.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$620 R$3,093

16.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.6

-1.55%

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 Petropolis: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $354 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 16% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $161 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 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 16% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $354 in Petropolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% 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 $25.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $743 in Petropolis versus $1,287 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.