Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Solin

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,544 in Solin, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Solin, Croatia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Solin
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,544
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,544 in Solin, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Solin $1,544

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,281 in Solin, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Solin $2,281

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,018 in Solin, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Solin $3,018

Playa del Carmen is about 22% cheaper than Solin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Solin is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$16.45 €14.71
-35.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$73.5 €65.8
-40.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$11.38 €10.18
3.60%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$2.80 €2.51
35.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$3.93 €3.52
-66.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$2.96 €2.64
-71.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$4.83 €4.32
-34.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$4.94 €4.42
-0.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.04 €0.93
35.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$1.21 €1.08
81.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$2.23 €1.99
-34.08%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$4.03 €3.61
-37.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$10.08 €9.01
-27.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$9.08 €8.12
-12.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$9.66 €8.64
33.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$1.80 €1.61
61.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.36 €1.22
1.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$1.64 €1.47
51.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$2.76 €2.47
-26.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$0.87 €0.78
132.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$0.89 €0.80
113.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.10 €0.98
3.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$1.20 €1.08
3.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$5.43 €4.85
-21.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$4.40 €3.94
122.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.33 €1.19
19.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$2.25 €2.01
22.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$1.74 €1.55
-70.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$45.43 €40.62
-39.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$4.36 €3.90
9.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$2.03 €1.82
60.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$7.34 €6.57
-26.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.95 €1.74
-21.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$27.3K €24.4K
-22.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$24.8K €22.2K
-6.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$211 €189
-60.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$20.38 €18.23
13.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$42.04 €37.60
-34.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$51.0 €45.56
10.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
$15.47 €13.84
82.22%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$10.59 €9.47
-52.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$89.7 €80.2
130.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$7,162 €6,404
-26.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$72.4 €64.8
-40.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$27.57 €24.66
54.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$67.0 €59.9
8.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$79.6 €71.2
11.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$695 €622
43.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$527 €471
-27.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$1,177 €1,052
42.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$747 €668
44.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$4,043 €3,615
-3.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$2,922 €2,613
110.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Solin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$1,064 €952
-21.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.79
202.11%

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 Solin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Solin
$527 37.8% $144
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Solin
$233 9.5% $24
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Solin
$261 30.3% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Solin
$274 104% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Solin
$111 0.2% $0.3
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Solin
$72 8.6% $5.7
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Solin
$67 32.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $695 in Solin. 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 28% higher in Solin, 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 $74 in Solin. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $233 in Solin – so Solin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇭🇷 Solin
🕒 Local time
11:07 11:07 AM
17:07 5:07 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
24,862
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Solin 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Solin

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 Solin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Solin?
Yes – Solin is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,317 in Solin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Solin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Solin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,544 in Solin. That makes Playa del Carmen about 22% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 40% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Solin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Solin at $1,544. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Solin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Solin?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,544 in Solin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Solin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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