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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,050 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,674 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,298 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Piedras Negras 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$7.76 MX$136

51.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$24.24 MX$423

71.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$7.86 MX$137

35.37%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$2.50 MX$43.60

40.80%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.28 MX$22.40

17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.63 MX$11.00

53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.36 MX$23.72

116.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.85 MX$49.77

56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.71 MX$29.93

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$3.12 MX$54.6

-39.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.74 MX$30.35

-5.75%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$3.69 MX$64.4

-31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$9.70 MX$169

-14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$4.66 MX$81.4

78.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$12.92 MX$226

-16.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.61 MX$45.58

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.34 MX$23.38

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.57 MX$27.39

21.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$2.16 MX$37.66

-3.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$2.21 MX$38.52

-19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.83 MX$31.88

19.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.16 MX$20.33

-10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$1.17 MX$20.35

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$4.22 MX$73.6

-3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$11.00 MX$192

-6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.62 MX$28.37

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$3.48 MX$60.8

-25.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.95 MX$16.63

-46.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$4.41 MX$77.1

-26.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$1.55 MX$27.06

60.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$8.25 MX$144

-60.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.24 MX$21.59

5.65%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$18.3K MX$319.1K

65.74%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$23.8K MX$415.6K

-1.53%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$55.9 MX$976

48.27%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$17.33 MX$303

28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$25.34 MX$443

15.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$35.58 MX$621

45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$15.62 MX$273

17.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$4.75 MX$83.0

6.74%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$205 MX$3,583

-2.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$3,562 MX$62.2K

46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$44.19 MX$772

-16.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$40.24 MX$703

-1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$89.8 MX$1,568

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$72.8 MX$1,272

19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$505 MX$8,816

92.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$390 MX$6,803

20.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$944 MX$16.5K

73.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$770 MX$13.5K

58.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,978 MX$34.5K

99.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,261 MX$22.0K

415.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$1,737 MX$30.3K

-61.77%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $505 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 162% 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 $249 vs $265, 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Piedras Negras earns 162% 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: $973 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $205 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 $1,050 in Piedras Negras versus $1,297 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.