Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Piedras Negras Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Piedras Negras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,085 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,689 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,293 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Piedras Negras 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$7.80 MX$135

49.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$23.96 MX$415

74.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$7.99 MX$138

30.16%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.44 MX$42.36

47.95%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.32 MX$22.85

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.68 MX$11.72

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.34 MX$23.25

126.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.83 MX$48.99

57.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.64 MX$28.38

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$3.12 MX$54.1

-41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.68 MX$29.12

-4.17%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$3.50 MX$60.7

-26.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$9.49 MX$164

-10.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.52 MX$78.3

87.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$12.98 MX$225

-15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.60 MX$45.05

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.30 MX$22.50

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.63 MX$28.21

20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$2.15 MX$37.28

-1.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$2.30 MX$39.86

-19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.88 MX$32.56

15.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.16 MX$20.16

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.13 MX$19.51

-7.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.10 MX$71.0

2.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$11.06 MX$192

-7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.54 MX$26.69

8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.47 MX$60.2

-28.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.97 MX$16.88

-44.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$4.39 MX$76.1

-29.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.56 MX$26.95

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.52 MX$148

-61.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.24 MX$21.54

1.61%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$18.4K MX$318.3K

64.24%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$24.0K MX$415.6K

-2.25%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$57.0 MX$988

47.27%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$17.16 MX$297

29.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$25.54 MX$443

16.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.99 MX$624

46.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$15.65 MX$271

17.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.70 MX$81.4

5.32%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$208 MX$3,596

-4.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,566 MX$61.8K

49.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$45.18 MX$783

-20.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$39.91 MX$692

0.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$87.9 MX$1,523

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$70.8 MX$1,228

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$505 MX$8,754

93.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$400 MX$6,925

17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$925 MX$16.0K

72.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$751 MX$13.0K

61.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,961 MX$34.0K

105.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,290 MX$22.4K

409.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$1,710 MX$29.6K

-58.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $505 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 139% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $24 in Piedras Negras. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $262, with Playa del Carmen 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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Piedras Negras earns 139% 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $208 in Piedras Negras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,085 in Piedras Negras versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.