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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $625 in Polomolok, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $962 in Polomolok, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,300 in Polomolok, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 103% more than Polomolok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Polomolok are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Polomolok 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.61 ₱101

620.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$16.48 ₱1,036

185.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.06 ₱129

476.70%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.17 ₱136

83.41%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.39 ₱24.33

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.63 ₱39.58

30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.07 ₱67.2

198.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.82 ₱114

273.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.68 ₱105

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.84 ₱53.0

161.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.67 ₱41.99

155.22%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.94 ₱122

41.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.71 ₱421

42.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.65 ₱166

240.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$5.63 ₱354

127.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.52 ₱158

14.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.54 ₱34.15

177.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.23 ₱140

-3.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$0.81 ₱50.9

179.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.22 ₱76.4

62.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.83 ₱178

-29.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.81 ₱50.7

51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.72 ₱45.35

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.40 ₱151

89.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.24 ₱455

43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.93 ₱58.7

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.55 ₱97.5

85.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.28 ₱17.51

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$10.97 ₱689

162.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.82 ₱51.6

557.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.23 ₱14.37

1521.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.89 ₱119

205.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.88 ₱55.2

75.00%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$15.9K ₱999.7K

41.71%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

48.38%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$51.0 ₱3,204

79.18%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$18.89 ₱1,187

33.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$26.41 ₱1,659

18.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$30.91 ₱1,942

117.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.73 ₱297

515.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.07 ₱256

19.41%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$107 ₱6,696

109.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,366 ₱85.8K

209.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$31.68 ₱1,991

48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.35 ₱1,216

128.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$62.8 ₱3,945

27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$62.3 ₱3,916

48.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$271 ₱17.0K

292.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$169 ₱10.6K

130.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$506 ₱31.8K

324.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$342 ₱21.5K

271.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,622 ₱164.7K

52.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,037 ₱65.2K

526.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$241 ₱15.2K

214.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Polomolok. 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 214% 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 $16.00 in Polomolok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $158 – making Polomolok 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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 103%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $937 in Polomolok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $625 in Polomolok. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 163% less in Polomolok. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polomolok, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Polomolok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polomolok – 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 Polomolok. 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.