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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $523 in Poipet, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $803 in Poipet, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,084 in Poipet, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 150% more than Poipet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Poipet are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Poipet 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.52 ៛10.2K

374.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$20.15 ៛81.6K

135.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.86 ៛23.7K

100.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.65 ៛6,668

149.70%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.70 ៛2,841

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.46 ៛1,853

97.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.03 ៛4,159

211.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.01 ៛8,148

251.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.24 ៛9,070

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.75 ៛7,073

22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.03 ៛4,171

71.84%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.65 ៛6,699

70.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$14.10 ៛57.1K

-34.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.61 ៛10.6K

253.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.93 ៛40.2K

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.33 ៛17.5K

-31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.22 ៛4,935

29.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.86 ៛15.6K

-42.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.04 ៛4,215

126.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.33 ៛5,368

49.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.11 ៛4,497

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.31 ៛5,321

-5.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.81 ៛3,286

49.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.52 ៛6,139

202.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.49 ៛30.3K

40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.98 ៛3,973

72.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.20 ៛8,919

25.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.02 ៛8,169

159.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.02 ៛4,142

257.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$4.94 ៛20.0K

17.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.25 ៛5,075

23.20%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$25.2K ៛102.2M

-9.63%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$22.1K ៛89.4M

16.87%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$106 ៛430.1K

-14.62%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$5.74 ៛23.3K

338.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$14.31 ៛58.0K

121.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.91 ៛19.9K

-1.02%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$282 ៛1.1M

-19.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,506 ៛18.2M

-6.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$25.95 ៛105.1K

82.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$13.14 ៛53.2K

230.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$69.7 ៛282.1K

15.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$45.25 ៛183.3K

101.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.2

24.46%

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 Poipet: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Poipet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $231 – 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 150%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $784 in Poipet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $523 in Poipet. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $282 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 $523, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.