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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,010 in Phoenix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,548 in Phoenix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,086 in Phoenix.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Phoenix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Phoenix 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.55 MUR 307

78.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$43.63 MUR 2,043

-3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.74 MUR 316

55.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.55 MUR 119

40.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.01 MUR 47.22

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.59 MUR 27.82

55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.17 MUR 102

36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.80 MUR 131

57.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.50 MUR 70.1

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.71 MUR 33.16

164.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.32 MUR 61.7

18.18%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.24 MUR 105

16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.91 MUR 464

-16.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.16 MUR 288

35.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.43 MUR 489

4.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.98 MUR 92.8

36.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.90 MUR 88.8

-20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.46 MUR 68.3

28.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.64 MUR 124

-17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.98 MUR 45.73

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 MUR 47.69

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.84 MUR 39.11

27.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.53 MUR 24.63

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.00 MUR 281

-30.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.42 MUR 394

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.72 MUR 80.6

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.13 MUR 99.8

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.00 MUR 46.68

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.29 MUR 201

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.65 MUR 124

-9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$15.35 MUR 719

-79.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.58 MUR 73.8

-17.09%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-16.56%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

-17.79%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$49.40 MUR 2,314

64.53%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.62 MUR 872

21.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$31.88 MUR 1,493

-5.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$38.26 MUR 1,792

38.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.02 MUR 282

-18.27%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$154 MUR 7,216

30.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,963 MUR 185.6K

30.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$50.0 MUR 2,343

-28.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$43.38 MUR 2,032

-7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$81.7 MUR 3,825

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$78.1 MUR 3,660

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$561 MUR 26.3K

74.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$386 MUR 18.1K

21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$869 MUR 40.7K

89.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$605 MUR 28.3K

98.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$932 MUR 43.7K

-27.40%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phoenix: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $561 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phoenix pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Phoenix. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $213, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,010 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $561 in Phoenix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,010 in Phoenix – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,010 in Phoenix versus $1,260 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.