Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,015 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,015 in Quito, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Quito $1,015

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,636 in Quito, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Quito $1,636

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,258 in Quito, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Quito $2,258

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$5.41 $5.41

101.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$55.2 $55.2

-21.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.66 $7.66

53.79%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$3.31 $3.31

15.11%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.36 $1.36

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$1.09 $1.09

-28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.46 $3.46

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$5.85 $5.85

-15.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.09 $1.09

29.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.55 $1.55

43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.56 $1.56

-8.97%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.16 $2.16

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$6.45 $6.45

12.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.22 $5.22

47.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$7.66 $7.66

65.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.34 $2.34

18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.20 $1.20

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.27 $1.27

100.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.12 $1.12

89.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.19 $1.19

63.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.02 $1.02

85.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.90 $0.90

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.00 $1.00

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$6.14 $6.14

-29.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$8.62 $8.62

15.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.58 $1.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.10 $3.10

-13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.36 $0.36

52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$21.34 $21.34

24.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$1.46 $1.46

240.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.54 $1.54

116.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$10.07 $10.07

-46.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.86 $0.86

67.44%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$23.3K $23.3K

-11.45%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$30.5K $30.5K

-23.05%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$28.33 $28.33

199.29%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$18.08 $18.08

29.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$28.84 $28.84

-0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$42.86 $42.86

33.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$17.92 $17.92

61.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$6.75 $6.75

-23.85%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$750 $750

-72.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$8,967 $8,967

-56.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$69.7 $69.7

-37.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$49.06 $49.06

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$112 $112

-33.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$110 $110

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$548 $548

78.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$362 $362

5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,126 $1,126

51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$637 $637

68.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$1,654 $1,654

138.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$664 $664

827.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$606 $606

21.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.12

13.14%

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 Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Quito

$362 35.6% 5.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Quito

$192 18.9% 24.7% $63

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Quito

$145 14.3% 28.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Quito

$75 7.4% 45% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Quito

$153 15.1% 37.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Quito

$56 5.6% 16.3% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Quito

$32 3.2% 36.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $548 in Quito. 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 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $55 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $192 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Quito 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 19%, 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 $1,522 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,015 in Quito. That makes Quito about 16% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,015 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $1,015 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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