Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, Costa Rica

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,632

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,532 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,532

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,432 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,432

Playa del Carmen is about 26% cheaper than Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$12.18 ₡5,500

-10.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$43.30 ₡19.5K

0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$10.95 ₡4,944

7.58%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.88 ₡1,752

-1.80%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$2.42 ₡1,094

-47.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$1.82 ₡823

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$3.21 ₡1,447

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$4.10 ₡1,849

20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$2.00 ₡902

-29.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$3.07 ₡1,386

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$2.44 ₡1,101

-41.80%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$3.08 ₡1,390

-18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.46 ₡2,915

12.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$7.56 ₡3,412

1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$14.18 ₡6,400

-10.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.72 ₡1,226

2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.11 ₡501

23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$1.30 ₡587

96.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.71 ₡773

23.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$2.66 ₡1,199

-27.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$2.02 ₡911

-6.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.65 ₡292

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$1.93 ₡869

-38.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$3.22 ₡1,452

33.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$15.19 ₡6,859

-34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$2.89 ₡1,306

-45.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$3.53 ₡1,594

-24.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.35 ₡611

-59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$43.19 ₡19.5K

-38.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.76 ₡793

182.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.60 ₡723

108.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$8.83 ₡3,986

-39.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.51 ₡680

-4.64%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$34.1K ₡15.4M

-39.32%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$41.6K ₡18.8M

-43.57%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$94.8 ₡42.8K

-10.51%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$35.25 ₡15.9K

-33.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$33.45 ₡15.1K

-14.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$67.7 ₡30.6K

-15.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$7.57 ₡3,420

-32.10%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$987 ₡445.4K

-79.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$17.4K ₡7.9M

-77.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$65.2 ₡29.4K

-33.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$26.77 ₡12.1K

54.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$99.1 ₡44.7K

-25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$54.5 ₡24.6K

63.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$890 ₡401.6K

10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$703 ₡317.2K

-45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,029 ₡915.9K

-15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,387 ₡626.3K

-22.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$998 ₡450.6K

-26.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.62

32.83%

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$703 43% 84.5% $322

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$296 18.1% 16.2% $41

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.4% 7.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$163 10% 19.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$110 6.8% 1.1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$83 5.1% 23.1% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6% 15.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $890 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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 36% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $43 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $296 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is pricier by about 36%, 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 $2,448 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $890 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That makes Playa del Carmen about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $987 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon at $1,632. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.