Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $964 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,573 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,182 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.55 ARS 15.6K

13.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$34.38 ARS 50.8K

21.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$9.13 ARS 13.5K

17.74%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.76 ARS 4,073

26.81%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.67 ARS 2,463

-13.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.49 ARS 2,196

-40.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.13 ARS 3,152

38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.03 ARS 4,484

48.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.25 ARS 1,849

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.56 ARS 2,307

17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$2.01 ARS 2,964

-21.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.18 ARS 3,226

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$10.26 ARS 15.2K

-19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.28 ARS 9,278

34.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$9.49 ARS 14.0K

12.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.98 ARS 2,923

31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.15 ARS 3,176

-33.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.31 ARS 1,937

49.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.56 ARS 3,782

-18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.15 ARS 1,697

60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.24 ARS 1,831

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.32 ARS 1,955

-21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.50 ARS 2,218

-28.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.16 ARS 4,666

29.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$4.41 ARS 6,519

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.09 ARS 3,083

-19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.07 ARS 4,539

-17.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.78 ARS 1,154

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.54 ARS 2,273

109.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.85 ARS 1,252

183.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$6.05 ARS 8,949

-46.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.06 ARS 1,572

24.53%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$27.7K ARS 40.9M

7.37%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$30.0K ARS 44.3M

-21.07%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$68.3 ARS 100.9K

20.14%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$17.02 ARS 25.2K

34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$22.15 ARS 32.7K

35.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$26.56 ARS 39.3K

95.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$13.72 ARS 20.3K

35.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.28 ARS 9,276

-20.70%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$216 ARS 319.1K

-8.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$2,729 ARS 4.0M

95.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$72.9 ARS 107.7K

-51.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$69.1 ARS 102.1K

-41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$113 ARS 166.6K

-30.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$111 ARS 163.8K

-19.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$337 ARS 497.8K

181.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$241 ARS 356.9K

96.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$683 ARS 1.0M

140.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$534 ARS 789.3K

126.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,101 ARS 3.1M

93.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,517 ARS 2.2M

326.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $231 – making Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña 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 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,445 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $216 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. 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.