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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,021 in Phoenix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,545 in Phoenix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,069 in Phoenix.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than Phoenix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Phoenix 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.63 MUR 310

80.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.74 MUR 2,094

-4.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.56 MUR 307

61.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.67 MUR 125

35.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.02 MUR 47.66

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.60 MUR 27.86

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.13 MUR 99.6

45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.80 MUR 131

59.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.45 MUR 67.9

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.65 MUR 30.61

189.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.28 MUR 59.7

27.34%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.31 MUR 108

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.01 MUR 468

-17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.21 MUR 290

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.49 MUR 491

5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.06 MUR 96.5

28.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.98 MUR 92.7

-24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.43 MUR 66.9

39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.64 MUR 123

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.98 MUR 46.02

82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.98 MUR 46.03

122.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.79 MUR 36.93

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.53 MUR 24.85

96.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.98 MUR 280

-33.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.68 MUR 406

17.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.71 MUR 79.9

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.09 MUR 98.0

19.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.99 MUR 46.43

-47.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.35 MUR 204

-27.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.74 MUR 128

-12.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$15.58 MUR 729

-80.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.52 MUR 71.2

-16.45%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.6K MUR 1.7M

-13.26%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

-20.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$49.77 MUR 2,329

64.78%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.07 MUR 846

24.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$32.07 MUR 1,500

-7.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$38.91 MUR 1,820

33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.96 MUR 279

-16.61%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$156 MUR 7,292

26.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,955 MUR 185.0K

33.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$49.82 MUR 2,331

-27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$43.42 MUR 2,032

-7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$82.0 MUR 3,837

-2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$77.3 MUR 3,615

15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$548 MUR 25.7K

75.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$384 MUR 17.9K

21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$865 MUR 40.5K

84.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$597 MUR 27.9K

102.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$683 MUR 32.0K

5.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.25

82.72%

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 Phoenix: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $548 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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 $45.00 in Phoenix. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $214, with Phoenix cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phoenix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Phoenix differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,021 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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 $548 in Phoenix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,021 in Phoenix – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,021 in Phoenix versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phoenix but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Phoenix the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Phoenix are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phoenix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.