Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port Shepstone Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port Shepstone

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,022 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,602 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,182 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port Shepstone are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Port Shepstone 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.84 R 127

52.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$38.65 R 625

22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$6.15 R 99.5

91.06%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.87 R 46.50

43.55%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.12 R 18.20

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.88 R 14.22

3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.47 R 39.99

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.60 R 42.13

171.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$0.97 R 15.74

73.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$0.67 R 10.89

220.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.27 R 20.58

39.37%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.48 R 24.01

90.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.59 R 123

21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.74 R 60.5

146.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$7.12 R 115

77.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.24 R 19.99

137.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$0.77 R 12.48

105.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$0.65 R 10.56

241.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.51 R 24.49

56.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.62 R 9.96

220.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.43 R 23.13

38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.97 R 15.65

27.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.66 R 10.67

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.82 R 61.8

20.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$5.05 R 81.7

108.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.52 R 24.62

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$1.93 R 31.18

43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$1.35 R 21.87

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$0.45 R 7.36

1064.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.74 R 11.90

393.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$8.03 R 130

-28.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.36 R 22.06

13.24%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$37.4K R 604.8K

-39.01%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$32.3K R 522.7K

-20.11%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$125 R 2,020

-27.39%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$18.92 R 306

33.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$36.98 R 598

-14.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$33.80 R 547

103.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$6.96 R 113

-30.17%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$335 R 5,423

-32.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$7,918 R 128.1K

-47.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$55.7 R 900

-14.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$30.89 R 500

40.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$98.9 R 1,600

-18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$90.3 R 1,460

1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$386 R 6,244

181.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$346 R 5,593

18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$899 R 14.5K

119.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$763 R 12.3K

68.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$784 R 12.7K

415.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$653 R 10.6K

927.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$3,172 R 51.3K

-75.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.81

-3.05%

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 Port Shepstone: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $386 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 run about 310% higher in Port Shepstone, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $149 – making Port Shepstone 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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 28%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,533 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,022 in Port Shepstone. 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 $335 in Port Shepstone. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Shepstone, where all-in costs run around $1,022, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Port Shepstone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Shepstone – 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 Port Shepstone. 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.