Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Road Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,593 in Road Town, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Road Town

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Road Town

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,593 in Road Town, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Road Town $2,593

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,460 in Road Town, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Road Town $4,460

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,327 in Road Town, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Road Town $6,327

Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper than Road Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Road Town is 92% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$17.47 $17.47

-38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$80.2 $80.2

-45.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$7.92 $7.92

48.86%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$4.60 $4.60

-17.61%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$1.67 $1.67

-22.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.98 $0.98

-15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$4.07 $4.07

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$1.81 $1.81

172.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$2.25 $2.25

-37.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$4.71 $4.71

-53.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$3.05 $3.05

-51.80%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$5.02 $5.02

-50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$3.69 $3.69

-21.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$3.39 $3.39

-59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$2.04 $2.04

22.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$6.63 $6.63

-69.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$4.79 $4.79

-57.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$3.96 $3.96

-52.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$6.24 $6.24

-81.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$1.91 $1.91

-35.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$5.37 $5.37

-20.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$10.95 $10.95

-10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$4.37 $4.37

-88.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.23 $1.23

24.39%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$160 $160

-47.85%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$90.3 $90.3

-74.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$124 $124

-77.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$118 $118

-52.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$20.09 $20.09

40.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$9.82 $9.82

-49.08%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$377 $377

-45.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$15.0K $15.0K

-65.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$46.66 $46.66

-6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$54.5 $54.5

-21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$128 $128

-43.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$141 $141

-37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,695 $1,695

-41.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$1,369 $1,369

-72.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$4,311 $4,311

-61.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$3,608 $3,608

-70.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$1,698 $1,698

-50.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Road Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Road Town

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Road Town

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Road Town

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Road Town

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Road Town

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Road Town

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Road Town

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,695 in Road Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Road Town are about 2 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $80 in Road Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $274 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇬 Road Town

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

00:08 12:08 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

12,603 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Road Town 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Road Town

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 Road Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Road Town is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,889 in Road Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,695 in Road Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,593 in Road Town. That makes Playa del Carmen about 54% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $377 in Road Town. 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Road Town at $2,593. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Road Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Road Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.