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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,220 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,971 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,722 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Piedras Negras 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$11.65 MX$197

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$47.04 MX$794

-0.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.30 MX$157

25.27%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$3.80 MX$64.1

7.63%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$1.50 MX$25.39

-8.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.14 MX$19.21

-27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.86 MX$48.35

17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.48 MX$75.5

54.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.72 MX$29.00

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$2.77 MX$46.82

-18.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.81 MX$30.59

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$2.60 MX$43.97

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.90 MX$150

3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.72 MX$147

2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$12.47 MX$210

1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.96 MX$49.98

2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.69 MX$28.53

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$2.08 MX$35.17

2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$1.90 MX$32.00

18.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$2.07 MX$34.97

-3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.90 MX$32.07

8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.47 MX$24.76

-19.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$1.15 MX$19.40

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$4.76 MX$80.4

-2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$11.32 MX$191

-5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.95 MX$32.91

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$3.44 MX$58.1

-16.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.73 MX$12.31

-21.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$2.76 MX$46.61

97.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.94 MX$32.77

90.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$11.90 MX$201

-49.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.46 MX$24.60

6.16%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$22.9K MX$386.7K

-2.55%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$25.7K MX$433.4K

1.05%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$61.5 MX$1,038

44.93%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$24.00 MX$405

4.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$31.51 MX$532

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$36.79 MX$621

84.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$21.26 MX$359

36.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$5.67 MX$95.7

-10.93%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$248 MX$4,188

-9.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$4,447 MX$75.1K

-5.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$59.0 MX$995

-19.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$44.76 MX$755

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$109 MX$1,846

-25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$91.6 MX$1,545

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$661 MX$11.1K

61.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$424 MX$7,162

-4.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,107 MX$18.7K

74.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$822 MX$13.9K

58.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$2,002 MX$33.8K

99.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,255 MX$21.2K

428.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,793 MX$30.3K

-58.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $661 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $282 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 139% lower in Piedras Negras. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $248 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 $47.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,220 in Piedras Negras versus $1,293 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 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.