Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rethymno

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,358 in Rethymno, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rethymno outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,358 in Rethymno, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Rethymno $1,358

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,031 in Rethymno, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Rethymno $2,031

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,703 in Rethymno, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Rethymno $2,703

Playa del Carmen is about 11% cheaper than Rethymno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$12.69 €11.38

-13.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$56.1 €50.2

-22.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$10.25 €9.18

14.93%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.54 €3.18

7.63%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.67 €1.50

-23.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.58 €0.52

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$4.54 €4.07

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$5.25 €4.70

-6.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.58 €1.42

-10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$1.21 €1.08

83.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$2.26 €2.03

-37.17%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$4.48 €4.01

-43.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$15.17 €13.60

-52.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$9.68 €8.67

-20.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$15.43 €13.83

-17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.99 €1.79

39.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.99 €1.78

-31.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$1.24 €1.11

105.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.70 €1.52

24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$0.96 €0.86

102.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.01 €0.90

87.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.69 €0.62

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.74 €0.66

59.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$4.38 €3.93

-1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$6.89 €6.18

44.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.81 €1.62

-12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$1.82 €1.64

46.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.81 €1.62

-69.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$4.58 €4.10

8.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.14 €1.02

192.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$11.38 €10.20

-52.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$2.21 €1.98

-34.84%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$22.4K €20.1K

-7.76%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$24.5K €22.0K

-4.30%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$191 €171

-55.55%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$18.37 €16.46

27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$31.03 €27.81

-7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$61.2 €54.8

-6.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$8.46 €7.58

-39.24%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$366 €328

-43.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$3,964 €3,552

-0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$88.2 €79.0

-50.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$11.04 €9.89

275.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$44.52 €39.89

66.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$44.41 €39.80

100.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$548 €491

78.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$447 €401

-14.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$913 €818

87.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$700 €627

53.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$4,172 €3,738

-5.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$2,963 €2,655

107.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,201 €1,076

-38.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.3

166.28%

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 Rethymno: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Rethymno

$447 32.9% 17.4% $66

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Rethymno

$273 20.1% 7.3% $19

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Rethymno

$217 16% 7.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Rethymno

$240 17.7% 75.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Rethymno

$85 6.2% 24.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Rethymno

$78 5.8% 16% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Rethymno

$18 * 1.3% 65.3% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $548 in Rethymno. 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 63% higher in Rethymno. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $56 in Rethymno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $273 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

10:18 10:18 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,763

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Rethymno 10,490 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Rethymno

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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rethymno is pricier by about 13%, 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 $2,037 in Rethymno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rethymno, 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 $1,358 in Rethymno. That makes Playa del Carmen about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $366 in Rethymno. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,358 in Rethymno, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,358 in Rethymno. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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