Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $470 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $752 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,034 in Qena, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 169% more than Qena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Qena are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Qena 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.92 E£204

195.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$15.25 E£795

208.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.96 E£311

99.33%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.81 E£94.6

119.89%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.52 E£27.02

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.15 E£7.61

446.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.13 E£111

49.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.20 E£167

112.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.97 E£50.8

73.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.62 E£32.27

254.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.62 E£32.14

175.81%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.96 E£102

39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$2.94 E£153

225.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.58 E£291

61.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.82 E£512

30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.48 E£77.3

95.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.53 E£27.73

183.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.44 E£23.08

388.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.42 E£22.03

438.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.38 E£19.57

421.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.38 E£19.58

423.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.27 E£14.08

355.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.20 E£10.27

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.19 E£114

107.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.15 E£373

45.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.27 E£66.1

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.82 E£95.0

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.18 E£9.52

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.40 E£20.97

1247.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.22 E£11.59

1595.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.92 E£100.0

200.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.43 E£22.39

258.14%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$32.8K E£1.7M

-31.31%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$21.8K E£1.1M

19.69%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$25.61 E£1,335

256.81%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.85 E£410

221.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$9.16 E£478

241.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$19.76 E£1,030

240.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.45 E£180

40.87%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$99.9 E£5,211

123.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$586 E£30.6K

621.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$20.46 E£1,067

130.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$33.87 E£1,766

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$121 E£6,317

-33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$29.18 E£1,522

217.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$132 E£6,861

707.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$71.4 E£3,725

446.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$289 E£15.0K

644.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$138 E£7,196

821.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$698 E£36.4K

472.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$387 E£20.2K

1579.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.21

-29.36%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Qena: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $132 in Qena. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Qena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $137 – making Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 169%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $705 in Qena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qena, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $470 in Qena. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $99.9 in Qena. 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 Qena, where all-in costs run around $470, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Qena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qena – 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 Qena. 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.