Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Roche Terre Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Roche Terre

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,079 in Roche Terre, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,746 in Roche Terre, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,413 in Roche Terre, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Roche Terre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Roche Terre are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Roche Terre 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.68 MUR 315

75.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$44.57 MUR 2,098

-6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.02 MUR 331

48.29%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.57 MUR 121

40.47%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.02 MUR 48.24

43.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.56 MUR 26.48

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.26 MUR 107

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.26 MUR 154

41.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.71 MUR 80.3

-16.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.70 MUR 32.81

171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.27 MUR 59.6

23.62%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.22 MUR 105

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$11.73 MUR 552

-28.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.04 MUR 285

42.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$12.70 MUR 598

-13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.08 MUR 97.9

29.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.02 MUR 94.9

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.49 MUR 70.2

28.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.75 MUR 130

-21.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.03 MUR 48.34

81.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.00 MUR 47.04

123.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.80 MUR 37.85

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.75 MUR 35.50

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$6.76 MUR 318

-38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.31 MUR 391

23.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.74 MUR 81.8

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.22 MUR 104

13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.00 MUR 46.95

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.52 MUR 213

-29.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.70 MUR 127

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$20.19 MUR 951

-84.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.39 MUR 65.6

-5.04%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$35.9K MUR 1.7M

-15.96%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-17.95%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$49.38 MUR 2,325

64.74%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$18.38 MUR 865

21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$33.79 MUR 1,591

-11.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$38.07 MUR 1,793

35.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.06 MUR 286

-14.85%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$152 MUR 7,167

32.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,946 MUR 185.8K

34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$85.5 MUR 4,024

-58.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$79.7 MUR 3,750

-49.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$131 MUR 6,186

-40.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$95.9 MUR 4,515

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$507 MUR 23.9K

87.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$352 MUR 16.6K

35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$934 MUR 44.0K

73.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$732 MUR 34.5K

67.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Roche Terre: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $507 in Roche Terre. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Roche Terre. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Playa del Carmen vs $231 in Roche Terre – so Roche Terre 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 Roche Terre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,619 in Roche Terre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roche Terre, 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $1,079 in Roche Terre. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $152 in Roche Terre. 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 Roche Terre, where all-in costs run around $1,079, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Roche Terre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Roche Terre – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Roche Terre. 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.