Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Side Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Side

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,074 in Side, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,658 in Side, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,242 in Side, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Side, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Side are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Side 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$7.82 ₺361

51.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$23.27 ₺1,073

84.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$6.17 ₺284

72.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.75 ₺127

25.45%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$1.76 ₺80.9

-14.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.47 ₺21.65

102.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$3.08 ₺142

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$4.11 ₺189

12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$0.89 ₺41.21

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.93 ₺42.68

98.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$0.93 ₺42.84

73.12%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.77 ₺81.4

46.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$8.07 ₺372

2.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.34 ₺246

56.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$16.56 ₺763

-35.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$1.00 ₺46.16

163.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$2.07 ₺95.3

-28.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$0.73 ₺33.70

163.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$1.16 ₺53.5

80.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.55 ₺25.51

238.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.42 ₺19.44

438.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.26 ₺58.3

-15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.34 ₺15.88

220.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$2.15 ₺99.1

93.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$13.15 ₺606

-20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.71 ₺79.0

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$2.06 ₺94.8

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.62 ₺28.76

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$30.78 ₺1,419

-12.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.05 ₺48.39

198.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.66 ₺30.33

280.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$7.80 ₺359

-59.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.17 ₺54.1

8.55%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$40.9K ₺1.9M

-25.74%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$41.4K ₺1.9M

-43.14%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$48.53 ₺2,237

71.03%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$7.95 ₺366

185.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$6.34 ₺292

364.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$43.32 ₺1,997

17.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$6.44 ₺297

-23.45%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$607 ₺28.0K

-67.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$8,932 ₺411.8K

-40.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$76.1 ₺3,509

-51.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$44.64 ₺2,058

-10.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$158 ₺7,291

-49.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$113 ₺5,189

-20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$522 ₺24.0K

83.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$400 ₺18.5K

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$874 ₺40.3K

88.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$697 ₺32.1K

75.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,388 ₺64.0K

182.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,040 ₺47.9K

521.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-42.90%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Side: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Side. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Side. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $206 – making Side the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,611 in Side. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Side, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,074 in Side. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Side. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Side, where all-in costs run around $1,074, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Side it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Side – 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 Side. 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.