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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,143 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,441 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,740 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Quetzaltenango are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Quetzaltenango 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.65 Q 50.7

74.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$49.45 Q 377

-4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.97 Q 60.7

49.06%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.44 Q 26.19

15.70%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.12 Q 8.53

27.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.83 Q 6.31

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.22 Q 24.57

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.85 Q 36.96

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.04 Q 15.53

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.63 Q 20.07

-16.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.08 Q 15.89

-17.79%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.53 Q 19.27

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.15 Q 46.91

55.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.03 Q 61.2

12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.98 Q 98.9

-1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.97 Q 22.61

-2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.71 Q 13.01

-12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.87 Q 21.89

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.63 Q 12.44

38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.49 Q 11.37

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.17 Q 16.53

-8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.72 Q 5.52

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.19 Q 9.10

0.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.24 Q 24.66

40.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.01 Q 61.0

29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.77 Q 13.51

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.59 Q 19.74

11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$5.19 Q 39.58

3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.75 Q 13.34

113.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$10.50 Q 80.0

-45.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.23 Q 9.37

25.20%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$27.1K Q 206.4K

-16.73%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.7K Q 195.8K

1.43%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$76.9 Q 586

18.85%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.02 Q 99.2

93.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$45.27 Q 345

-30.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$32.28 Q 246

108.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.53 Q 49.79

-25.57%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$335 Q 2,556

-33.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,666 Q 50.8K

-36.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$47.89 Q 365

-1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$46.79 Q 357

-5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$108 Q 822

-25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$112 Q 851

-16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$396 Q 3,021

168.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$397 Q 3,024

-1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.62

-1.46%

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 Quetzaltenango: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $396 in Quetzaltenango. 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 $49.00 in Quetzaltenango. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $264 in Quetzaltenango – so Quetzaltenango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 11%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,714 in Quetzaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetzaltenango, 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 $1,143 in Quetzaltenango. 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 $335 in Quetzaltenango. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quetzaltenango, where all-in costs run around $1,143, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Quetzaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quetzaltenango – 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 Quetzaltenango. 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.