Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Shepstone: $1,007 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Port Shepstone
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Port Shepstone Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Port Shepstone

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Port Shepstone

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Port Shepstone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,007 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Port Shepstone $1,007

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,582 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Port Shepstone $1,582

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,156 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Port Shepstone $2,156

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port Shepstone are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Port Shepstone 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.04 R 134

35.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$39.88 R 666

8.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.95 R 99.5

97.98%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.64 R 44.12

44.32%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.14 R 19.05

12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.86 R 14.35

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.49 R 41.62

27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.64 R 44.15

86.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.95 R 15.85

48.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.71 R 11.79

212.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.24 R 20.75

14.52%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.48 R 24.66

70.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$7.20 R 120

0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$3.69 R 61.6

108.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$7.49 R 125

69.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.24 R 20.69

124.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$0.75 R 12.53

82.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$0.62 R 10.37

311.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.51 R 25.16

40.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.60 R 9.95

223.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.40 R 23.38

35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.88 R 14.77

30.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.63 R 10.53

87.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$3.70 R 61.8

16.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$4.88 R 81.6

103.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.46 R 24.40

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.92 R 32.09

39.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.54 R 25.76

-64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$0.45 R 7.54

1004.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.75 R 12.57

344.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$7.76 R 130

-30.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.36 R 22.68

5.88%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$36.2K R 604.2K

-42.85%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$33.3K R 555.6K

-29.44%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$123 R 2,052

-30.95%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$18.50 R 309

26.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$36.99 R 618

-22.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$31.96 R 534

78.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$11.10 R 186

160.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$7.29 R 122

-29.49%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$315 R 5,263

-34.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$7,688 R 128.4K

-48.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$53.6 R 896

-19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$30.74 R 514

34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$100 R 1,678

-26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$86.4 R 1,443

3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$397 R 6,639

146.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$363 R 6,069

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$745 R 12.5K

129.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$743 R 12.4K

44.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$886 R 14.8K

344.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$678 R 11.3K

808.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,014 R 50.4K

-75.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.78

-2.80%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Port Shepstone

$363 36.1% 4.6% $18

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Port Shepstone

$147 14.6% 42.2% $108

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Port Shepstone

$140 13.9% 31% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Port Shepstone

$178 17.7% 30.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Port Shepstone

$122 12.1% 9.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Port Shepstone

$47 4.6% 30.9% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Port Shepstone

$10 * 1% 79.4% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 in Port Shepstone. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Port Shepstone are about 4.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $40 in Port Shepstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $147 – making Port Shepstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇦 Port Shepstone

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

14:14 2:14 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

52,793

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Port Shepstone 13,730 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Port Shepstone

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,511 in Port Shepstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Shepstone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,007 in Port Shepstone. That makes Port Shepstone about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Port Shepstone. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,007 in Port Shepstone. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,007 in Port Shepstone to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.