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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,023 in Phoenix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,543 in Phoenix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,064 in Phoenix.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than Phoenix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Phoenix 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.42 MUR 302

82.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$44.72 MUR 2,105

-6.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.64 MUR 313

56.78%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.68 MUR 126

34.70%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.03 MUR 48.39

41.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.56 MUR 26.39

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.17 MUR 102

34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.79 MUR 131

65.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.51 MUR 71.0

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.69 MUR 32.62

175.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.33 MUR 62.7

18.05%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.31 MUR 109

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.99 MUR 470

-15.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.24 MUR 294

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.43 MUR 491

5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.04 MUR 96.0

32.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.94 MUR 91.2

-22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.43 MUR 67.2

33.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.76 MUR 130

-21.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.98 MUR 46.24

90.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.99 MUR 46.57

125.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.79 MUR 37.43

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.53 MUR 24.86

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$5.94 MUR 280

-29.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.55 MUR 402

20.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.79 MUR 84.5

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.17 MUR 102

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.03 MUR 48.70

-46.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.50 MUR 212

-28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.71 MUR 128

-9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$15.68 MUR 738

-79.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.54 MUR 72.3

-14.29%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-15.53%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$28.7K MUR 1.4M

-18.42%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$48.93 MUR 2,304

66.26%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$18.48 MUR 870

21.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$33.07 MUR 1,557

-9.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$38.78 MUR 1,826

32.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.94 MUR 280

-13.13%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$151 MUR 7,122

33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,014 MUR 189.0K

32.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$49.72 MUR 2,341

-28.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$43.76 MUR 2,060

-7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$83.7 MUR 3,940

-6.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$77.4 MUR 3,645

12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$543 MUR 25.6K

74.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$391 MUR 18.4K

22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$889 MUR 41.9K

82.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$601 MUR 28.3K

103.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$965 MUR 45.5K

-30.30%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phoenix: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $543 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phoenix pays 43% 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 $45.00 in Phoenix. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $215, 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,023 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phoenix earns 43% less. 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $543 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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,023 in Phoenix – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,023 in Phoenix versus $1,294 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 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.