Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Piestany Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Piestany

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,319 in Piestany.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,826 in Piestany.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,333 in Piestany.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Piestany, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Piestany 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.73 €6.65

54.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$26.95 €23.18

75.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.02 €6.89

46.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$2.02 €1.74

103.96%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$1.65 €1.42

-15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$1.17 €1.01

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$1.48 €1.28

116.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.38 €2.05

197.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.01 €0.87

66.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$0.96 €0.82

123.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$0.90 €0.78

96.67%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$2.83 €2.43

-0.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.95 €7.69

2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$6.69 €5.75

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.18 €9.61

13.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$2.11 €1.81

39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$1.52 €1.31

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$2.08 €1.79

6.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$4.64 €3.99

-49.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$1.25 €1.08

59.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$1.64 €1.41

20.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$1.38 €1.18

-10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$0.67 €0.57

80.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$5.59 €4.81

-17.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.12 €4.40

105.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$0.89 €0.76

89.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$1.71 €1.47

61.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$1.06 €0.91

-43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$2.85 €2.45

83.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$1.13 €0.98

223.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$23.52 €20.22

-75.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$1.83 €1.57

-15.85%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$27.2K €23.4K

-16.28%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$28.7K €24.7K

-10.04%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$227 €195

-60.07%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$17.07 €14.68

47.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$16.48 €14.17

92.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$42.77 €36.78

60.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$19.53 €16.80

50.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$8.09 €6.95

-39.93%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$345 €297

-34.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$10.8K €9,280

-61.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$47.41 €40.77

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$34.77 €29.89

24.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$59.2 €50.9

35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$45.58 €39.19

100.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$670 €576

62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$541 €465

-24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$997 €857

97.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$795 €683

61.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$3,443 €2,961

17.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$2,603 €2,238

157.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,197 €1,029

-35.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.3

246.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Piestany: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $670 in Piestany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piestany pays 55% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Piestany for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $218 per month, with Piestany 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 Piestany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Piestany differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,319 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Piestany. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in Piestany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Piestany pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,319 in Piestany – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,319 in Piestany, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Piestany. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Piestany, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Piestany 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Piestany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.