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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $827 in Phoenix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,317 in Phoenix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,807 in Phoenix.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 53% more expensive than in Phoenix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Phoenix 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.18 MUR 103

432.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$31.64 MUR 1,491

48.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.47 MUR 352

59.04%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$5.37 MUR 253

-25.88%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.61 MUR 28.66

134.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.52 MUR 24.50

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.07 MUR 97.6

54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.38 MUR 253

26.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.45 MUR 68.1

15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.40 MUR 18.95

450.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.14 MUR 101

-20.09%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$5.11 MUR 241

-46.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.64 MUR 407

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.30 MUR 297

103.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$7.57 MUR 357

-61.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.87 MUR 182

-61.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$4.62 MUR 218

-53.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.45 MUR 68.3

55.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.82 MUR 38.83

141.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.84 MUR 39.51

136.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.73 MUR 34.37

68.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.76 MUR 35.62

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.70 MUR 504

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.11 MUR 99.3

-23.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.07 MUR 50.5

-43.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$10.62 MUR 501

171.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.52 MUR 71.6

145.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.35 MUR 63.7

14.07%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

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

$25.20 MX$435

$14.28 MUR 673

76.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.74 MUR 1,213

21.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.18 MUR 1,187

166.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.47 MUR 258

-11.15%

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

$224 MX$3,856

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$52.6 MUR 2,479

-10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$52.0 MUR 2,452

-14.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$534 MUR 25.2K

99.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$322 MUR 15.2K

21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$832 MUR 39.2K

158.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$533 MUR 25.1K

138.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$961 MUR 45.3K

-21.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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 Phoenix: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $534 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phoenix pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Phoenix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $244 per month, with Phoenix 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 Phoenix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Phoenix differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $827 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Phoenix. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $534 in Phoenix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $827 in Phoenix – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $827 in Phoenix versus $1,266 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 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.