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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $482 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $784 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,086 in Qena, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 164% more than Qena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Qena are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Qena 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.91 E£200

203.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$16.05 E£820

167.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.87 E£300

81.43%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.66 E£84.9

107.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.34 E£17.57

341.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.15 E£7.61

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.93 E£98.3

56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.74 E£140

68.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.01 E£51.6

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.61 E£31.13

203.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.69 E£35.47

133.33%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.10 E£107

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.60 E£184

129.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.52 E£333

28.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.15 E£518

5.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.37 E£69.8

91.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.47 E£24.07

217.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.42 E£21.64

357.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.58 E£29.40

260.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.50 E£25.54

272.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.57 E£29.32

296.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.30 E£15.51

253.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.18 E£9.37

505.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.92 E£98.2

116.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.63 E£390

36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 E£64.8

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.81 E£92.6

44.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.18 E£9.24

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.41 E£21.00

663.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.13 E£6.61

1830.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.03 E£104

55.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.35 E£17.93

262.86%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$17.9K E£915.4K

69.44%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-28.81%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$26.40 E£1,348

214.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$6.49 E£331

249.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$12.68 E£647

132.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$21.80 E£1,113

133.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.38 E£173

45.86%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$98.0 E£5,004

101.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$589 E£30.1K

796.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$11.28 E£576

227.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.62 E£1,002

103.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$108 E£5,534

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$49.93 E£2,550

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$190 E£9,721

402.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$98.8 E£5,045

382.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$308 E£15.7K

433.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$176 E£8,990

595.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$866 E£44.2K

352.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$458 E£23.4K

1310.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Qena: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $190 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Qena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $147 – 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 164%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $723 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $482 in Qena. 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 $98.0 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 $482, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.