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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $480 in Poipet, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $758 in Poipet, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,035 in Poipet, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 162% more than Poipet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Poipet are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Poipet 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.52 ៛10.2K

375.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$19.80 ៛79.8K

111.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.97 ៛24.1K

80.07%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.60 ៛6,432

118.75%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.70 ៛2,812

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.50 ៛2,027

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.99 ៛3,974

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.86 ៛7,508

142.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.74 ៛7,001

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.42 ៛5,735

29.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.30 ៛5,238

20.77%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.55 ៛6,259

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$14.89 ៛60.0K

-44.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.51 ៛14.2K

140.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.36 ៛41.8K

3.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.55 ៛14.3K

-26.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.09 ៛4,377

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.27 ៛13.2K

-40.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.26 ៛5,071

65.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.30 ៛5,254

42.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.89 ៛3,583

143.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.29 ៛5,211

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.70 ៛2,818

52.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.83 ៛7,374

124.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.46 ៛30.1K

36.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.79 ៛3,168

112.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.05 ៛8,252

23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.97 ៛3,920

148.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.90 ៛19.7K

-34.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.12 ៛4,527

17.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$74.5 ៛300.5K

10.02%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.88 ៛23.7K

290.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$19.38 ៛78.1K

55.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.59 ៛26.6K

-24.43%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$403 ៛1.6M

-50.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,065 ៛20.4M

5.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$34.39 ៛138.6K

3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$18.09 ៛72.9K

122.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$54.9 ៛221.3K

43.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$36.65 ៛147.7K

142.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Poipet: July 14, 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 $222 – 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 162%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $720 in Poipet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 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 $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $403 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 $1,256. 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.