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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $682 in Pisco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,055 in Pisco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,429 in Pisco, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% more than Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pisco are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Pisco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$4.49 PEN 15.07

160.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$32.63 PEN 109

42.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.13 PEN 23.89

63.39%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$3.34 PEN 11.21

22.46%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$1.12 PEN 3.77

22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.62 PEN 2.07

33.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.75 PEN 9.21

21.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.57 PEN 15.31

51.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.68 PEN 5.62

2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$2.33 PEN 7.81

-3.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.27 PEN 4.24

39.37%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.37 PEN 4.60

99.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$6.49 PEN 21.75

41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.94 PEN 16.55

80.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$6.82 PEN 22.86

84.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.37 PEN 4.58

120.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.01 PEN 3.40

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.44 PEN 4.81

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$0.57 PEN 1.92

296.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$0.43 PEN 1.45

365.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$0.86 PEN 2.90

139.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.85 PEN 2.83

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.87 PEN 2.91

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$5.80 PEN 19.45

-20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$9.22 PEN 30.92

15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.90 PEN 6.36

-14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.48 PEN 8.32

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.93 PEN 3.13

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$35.81 PEN 120

-16.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$3.98 PEN 13.34

36.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$2.14 PEN 7.17

72.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$7.29 PEN 24.43

-17.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.72 PEN 5.76

-9.88%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$21.8K PEN 73.2K

2.25%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$25.9K PEN 86.9K

0.12%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$45.42 PEN 152

96.24%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$16.85 PEN 56.5

48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$11.93 PEN 40.00

164.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$20.56 PEN 68.9

229.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$8.99 PEN 30.14

221.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$7.32 PEN 24.56

-31.01%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$181 PEN 605

24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$13.2K PEN 44.1K

-67.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$54.2 PEN 182

-12.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$13.39 PEN 44.90

235.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$47.04 PEN 158

74.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$36.00 PEN 121

155.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$164 PEN 551

550.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$132 PEN 444

206.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$146 PEN 488

793.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$1,813 PEN 6,079

120.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,391 PEN 4,663

376.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$584 PEN 1,957

28.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.94

28.08%

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 Pisco: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $164 in Pisco. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Pisco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $186 – making Pisco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $682 in Pisco – roughly 90% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,022 in Pisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pisco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Pisco. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $181 in Pisco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pisco, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Pisco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $682 in Pisco to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pisco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.