Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,160 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
Learn more

Somerset West Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Somerset West

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,160 in Somerset West, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Somerset West $1,160

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,888 in Somerset West, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Somerset West $1,888

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,615 in Somerset West, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Somerset West $2,615

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Somerset West are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Somerset West 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$12.23 R 204

-10.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$45.52 R 759

-4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.44 R 90.7

116.54%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.06 R 34.34

84.95%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.06 R 17.74

20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.84 R 14.01

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.58 R 42.91

22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.27 R 54.5

50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.03 R 17.13

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.98 R 16.39

126.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$2.08 R 34.70

-31.73%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.28 R 38.00

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$8.34 R 139

-12.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$5.18 R 86.3

48.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$9.22 R 154

37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.81 R 30.23

53.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.89 R 31.47

-27.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.74 R 29.00

46.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.69 R 28.20

25.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.51 R 25.23

28.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.53 R 25.48

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.29 R 21.42

-10.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.07 R 17.80

10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$3.39 R 56.5

26.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$5.89 R 98.1

68.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.36 R 22.73

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.75 R 29.17

52.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.11 R 18.47

-50.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$60.4 R 1,007

-55.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.59 R 9.81

742.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.54 R 25.72

116.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$4.94 R 82.4

8.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.42 R 23.68

1.41%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$29.3K R 487.5K

-29.37%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$29.4K R 489.1K

-20.06%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$82.1 R 1,368

3.31%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$29.05 R 484

-19.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$40.47 R 674

-29.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$44.16 R 736

29.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$10.43 R 174

177.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$7.28 R 121

-29.40%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$251 R 4,175

-17.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$3,596 R 59.9K

9.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$30.99 R 516

39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$31.32 R 522

32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$71.3 R 1,189

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$56.3 R 939

58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$643 R 10.7K

52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$426 R 7,095

-10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,341 R 22.3K

27.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$937 R 15.6K

14.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,221 R 20.3K

222.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$892 R 14.9K

590.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,418 R 23.6K

-48.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.12

13.14%

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 Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Somerset West

$426 36.7% 11.8% $45

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Somerset West

$200 17.2% 21.7% $55

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Somerset West

$166 14.3% 18% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Somerset West

$152 13.1% 10.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Somerset West

$86 7.4% 23.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Somerset West

$59 5.1% 12.8% $8.6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Somerset West

$73 6.3% 45% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $643 in Somerset West. 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 93% higher in Somerset West, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $46 in Somerset West. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $200 in Somerset West – so Somerset West wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

22:01 10:01 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

55,166

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Somerset West 12,700 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Somerset West

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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 4%, 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 $1,740 in Somerset West. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Somerset West, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $643 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,160 in Somerset West. That makes Somerset West about 4% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,160 in Somerset West, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,160 in Somerset West to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.