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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $480 in Poipet, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $769 in Poipet, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,057 in Poipet, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 170% more than Poipet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Poipet are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Poipet 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.53 ៛10.2K

363.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$20.24 ៛81.4K

105.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.97 ៛24.0K

78.22%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.67 ៛6,705

110.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.69 ៛2,765

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.50 ៛2,027

94.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.98 ៛3,948

201.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.91 ៛7,662

132.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.76 ៛7,058

-21.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.36 ៛5,464

38.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.27 ៛5,111

29.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.58 ៛6,338

58.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$14.73 ៛59.2K

-43.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.54 ៛14.2K

135.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.23 ៛41.1K

4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.69 ៛14.8K

-29.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.08 ៛4,357

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$3.26 ៛13.1K

-41.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.28 ៛5,146

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.25 ៛5,044

42.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.96 ៛3,856

128.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.29 ៛5,192

-19.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.70 ៛2,808

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.86 ៛7,467

119.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.34 ៛29.5K

40.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.73 ៛2,920

134.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.99 ៛8,001

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.01 ៛4,073

146.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$5.08 ៛20.4K

-36.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.12 ៛4,511

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$74.1 ៛297.8K

11.91%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$5.83 ៛23.4K

281.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$19.23 ៛77.3K

52.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.43 ៛25.8K

-21.15%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$393 ៛1.6M

-48.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,929 ៛19.8M

5.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$33.83 ៛136.0K

9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$18.03 ៛72.5K

120.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$54.4 ៛218.6K

44.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$36.65 ៛147.4K

137.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.2

24.13%

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 Poipet: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Poipet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $221 – making Poipet 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 Poipet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 170%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $719 in Poipet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $480 in Poipet. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $393 in Poipet. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Poipet, where all-in costs run around $480, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Poipet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Poipet – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Poipet. 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.