Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,416 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

$1,204

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,416 in Selfoss, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Selfoss $3,416

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,439 in Selfoss, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Selfoss $2,439

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,461 in Selfoss, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Selfoss $1,461

Playa del Carmen is about 65% cheaper than Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Selfoss is 151% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$20.39 ISK 2,475

-42.23%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$12.18 ISK 1,478

-73.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.77 ISK 215

-20.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$7.65 ISK 929

-70.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$4.55 ISK 552

-68.79%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$6.49 ISK 787

-61.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$17.25 ISK 2,094

-57.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$21.56 ISK 2,617

-64.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$33.60 ISK 4,078

-62.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.83 ISK 343

-1.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.70 ISK 328

-49.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.72 ISK 330

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$7.25 ISK 880

-70.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$3.24 ISK 394

-40.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.07 ISK 252

-8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$3.70 ISK 449

-68.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.34 ISK 163

-11.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$15.61 ISK 1,895

-72.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.15 ISK 140

132.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$2,771 ISK 336.4K

-86.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

9,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Selfoss 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Selfoss is pricier by about 184%, 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 $5,124 in Selfoss. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,416 in Selfoss. That makes Playa del Carmen about 65% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Selfoss, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Selfoss at $3,416. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Selfoss it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 $3,416 in Selfoss. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.