Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Puertollano

For one person, living is cheaper in Puertollano: $931 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Puertollano, Spain
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Puertollano
🇪🇸 Spain
$931
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Puertollano

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 Puertollano actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $931 in Puertollano, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Puertollano $931

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,349 in Puertollano, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Puertollano $1,349

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,766 in Puertollano, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Puertollano $1,766

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Puertollano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Puertollano are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Puertollano 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$13.21 €11.84
-17.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$24.13 €21.63
79.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$8.69 €7.79
35.56%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$1.64 €1.47
132.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.89
$1.15 €1.03
11.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.58
$1.15 €1.03
-32.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$2.23 €2.00
42.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.9
$2.26 €2.03
118.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.20
$1.22 €1.09
15.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.30
$1.42 €1.28
56.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.40
$1.74 €1.56
-18.39%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.00
$3.08 €2.76
-18.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$13.99 €12.54
-48.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$5.34 €4.78
44.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
$11.39 €10.20
11.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$1.90 €1.70
46.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.49
$1.92 €1.72
-28.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.52
$1.74 €1.56
46.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.55
$2.23 €1.99
-4.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.11
$1.03 €0.92
88.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.13
$2.06 €1.85
-8.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.36
$1.27 €1.13
-9.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.96
$0.68 €0.61
73.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.0
$6.47 €5.80
-33.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$3.84 €3.44
159.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.50
$1.15 €1.03
37.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.76
$1.09 €0.98
144.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$0.99 €0.89
-44.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$13.26 €11.88
100.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$1.85 €1.66
168.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.23 €1.10
170.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$22.30 €19.98
-75.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.90
$1.60 €1.44
-10.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.0K
$22.0K €19.8K
-6.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.2K
$28.5K €25.6K
-17.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,580
$71.6 €64.2
18.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$8.19 €7.34
185.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$24.89 €22.31
15.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$39.75 €35.62
43.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.7
$4.34 €3.89
18.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,848
$872 €782
-76.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$10.1K €9,059
-61.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$49.68 €44.52
-12.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$39.34 €35.25
5.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,382
$45.26 €40.56
63.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,663
$27.39 €24.54
225.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,095
$280 €251
36.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$682 €611
150.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$329 €295
226.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Puertollano
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$1,099 €985
-33.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.3
246.97%

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 Puertollano: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Puertollano
$280 26.6% $101
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Puertollano
$224 12.2% $31
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Puertollano
$176 12.9% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Puertollano
$105 23.5% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Puertollano
$73 34.9% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Puertollano
$48 28.1% $19
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Puertollano
$25 50% $25

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 50% higher in Puertollano, 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 $24 in Puertollano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $224 – making Puertollano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇪🇸 Puertollano
🕒 Local time
06:06 6:06 AM
12:06 12:06 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
45,127
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Puertollano 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Puertollano

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 Puertollano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puertollano cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,396 in Puertollano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Puertollano?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $931 in Puertollano. That makes Puertollano about 23% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 50% less in Puertollano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Puertollano?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Puertollano to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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