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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $645 in Polomolok, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,025 in Polomolok, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,405 in Polomolok, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 101% more than Polomolok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Polomolok are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Polomolok 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$1.76 ₱106

566.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$13.41 ₱812

211.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$2.33 ₱141

346.78%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.12 ₱128

70.28%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.42 ₱25.53

247.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.49 ₱29.41

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$1.18 ₱71.4

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$1.57 ₱95.0

194.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.69 ₱102

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.95 ₱57.2

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$0.72 ₱43.80

118.06%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.07 ₱125

27.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$6.05 ₱366

39.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$3.06 ₱185

180.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$6.19 ₱375

77.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$2.87 ₱174

-5.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$0.65 ₱39.13

132.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$2.41 ₱146

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$0.85 ₱51.4

155.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.35 ₱81.7

38.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$3.26 ₱198

-31.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.93 ₱56.3

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.56 ₱34.10

91.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$2.69 ₱163

54.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$7.61 ₱461

35.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.10 ₱66.3

52.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$1.55 ₱93.8

63.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.28 ₱17.10

96.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$14.04 ₱850

87.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$0.87 ₱52.5

267.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$0.25 ₱15.21

884.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$2.12 ₱128

50.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$0.95 ₱57.8

38.95%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

70.50%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$19.8K ₱1.2M

18.06%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$56.5 ₱3,418

44.08%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$12.32 ₱746

81.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$29.51 ₱1,787

1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$33.44 ₱2,025

54.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$4.53 ₱274

305.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$4.53 ₱274

13.91%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$121 ₱7,307

67.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$1,535 ₱92.9K

246.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$45.57 ₱2,759

-21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$26.12 ₱1,581

54.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$70.3 ₱4,254

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$68.6 ₱4,156

26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$262 ₱15.8K

263.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$179 ₱10.8K

167.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$580 ₱35.1K

179.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$396 ₱24.0K

208.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$2,477 ₱149.9K

61.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$1,000 ₱60.5K

547.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$253 ₱15.3K

166.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

90.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 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 166% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $13.00 in Polomolok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $167 – 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 101%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $968 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $645 in Polomolok. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 87% 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 $645, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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.