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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,088 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,698 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,308 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than in 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

$11.95 MX$208

$7.78 MX$135

53.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$23.60 MX$411

77.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$7.81 MX$136

33.42%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$2.48 MX$43.22

41.53%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.32 MX$22.97

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.69 MX$11.93

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.29 MX$22.41

135.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.86 MX$49.74

52.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.71 MX$29.82

-16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$3.08 MX$53.5

-40.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.70 MX$29.56

-4.12%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$3.51 MX$61.0

-27.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$9.26 MX$161

-7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.52 MX$78.6

87.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$12.85 MX$224

-15.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$2.62 MX$45.67

4.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.33 MX$23.18

8.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.55 MX$27.01

21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$2.24 MX$39.02

-3.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$2.21 MX$38.44

-19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.88 MX$32.80

18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$1.22 MX$21.18

-12.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$1.16 MX$20.26

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$4.16 MX$72.4

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$10.96 MX$191

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.54 MX$26.79

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$3.37 MX$58.6

-23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.90 MX$15.58

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$4.29 MX$74.6

-25.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.54 MX$26.75

62.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$8.12 MX$141

-60.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.25 MX$21.81

0.80%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$18.4K MX$319.8K

61.56%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$23.4K MX$406.6K

1.35%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$56.5 MX$984

45.08%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$17.14 MX$298

32.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$25.88 MX$450

13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$35.39 MX$616

47.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$16.07 MX$280

14.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$4.52 MX$78.7

9.07%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$203 MX$3,530

-0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$3,552 MX$61.8K

46.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$45.59 MX$793

-21.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.45 MX$704

-0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$88.4 MX$1,539

-9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$70.7 MX$1,230

26.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$508 MX$8,843

86.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$394 MX$6,850

18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$922 MX$16.1K

76.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$778 MX$13.5K

53.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,926 MX$33.5K

104.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,247 MX$21.7K

415.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$1,742 MX$30.3K

-62.21%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 165% 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 $24.00 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 165% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $203 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 $1,088 in Piedras Negras versus $1,259 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.