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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $680 in Soroca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,068 in Soroca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,457 in Soroca, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 85% more than Soroca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Soroca are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Soroca 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.67 MDL 151

38.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.31 MDL 632

15.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.52 MDL 131

42.95%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.89 MDL 32.88

85.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.92 MDL 16.03

57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.65 MDL 11.32

35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.71 MDL 29.81

72.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.27 MDL 39.57

98.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.29 MDL 22.51

10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.55 MDL 9.66

234.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.50 MDL 26.09

4.67%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.63 MDL 45.83

-4.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.20 MDL 178

-18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.32 MDL 92.7

58.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.07 MDL 158

17.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.86 MDL 14.95

203.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.84 MDL 32.06

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.69 MDL 29.50

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.07 MDL 36.03

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.76 MDL 13.29

143.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.60 MDL 10.36

261.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.36 MDL 23.61

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.90 MDL 15.62

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.30 MDL 57.5

24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.21 MDL 21.10

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.99 MDL 34.65

27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.28 MDL 4.82

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.09 MDL 36.34

54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.27 MDL 4.75

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.16 MDL 89.8

-37.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.44 MDL 25.00

-8.33%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$31.9K MDL 555.1K

-6.85%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.6K MDL 550.8K

-25.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$169 MDL 2,951

-51.61%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.66 MDL 133

199.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.94 MDL 191

175.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.62 MDL 133

-34.65%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$388 MDL 6,758

-49.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,634 MDL 132.9K

-30.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$66.0 MDL 1,149

-46.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$53.4 MDL 930

-24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$112 MDL 1,958

-29.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$125 MDL 2,168

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$507 MDL 8,820

29.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Soroca: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 29% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Soroca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $182 – making Soroca 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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 85%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,019 in Soroca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $680 in Soroca. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $388 in Soroca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Soroca, where all-in costs run around $680, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Soroca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Soroca. 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.