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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,198 in Sosua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,075 in Sosua, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,953 in Sosua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 5% more than Sosua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sosua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Sosua 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$8.35 DOP 485

40.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$50.9 DOP 2,959

-17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.10 DOP 413

48.03%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.72 DOP 158

31.99%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.02 DOP 59.3

48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.77 DOP 44.83

19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.48 DOP 144

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.97 DOP 289

-11.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.38 DOP 80.4

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.79 DOP 104

5.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.12 DOP 64.9

39.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.82 DOP 106

43.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.23 DOP 420

15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.39 DOP 371

30.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.81 DOP 454

39.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.55 DOP 148

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.82 DOP 47.79

84.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.93 DOP 170

-36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.96 DOP 114

11.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.35 DOP 136

-20.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.27 DOP 132

-1.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.04 DOP 60.2

2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.78 DOP 45.21

39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.91 DOP 344

-29.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.91 DOP 634

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.57 DOP 150

-35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.53 DOP 147

3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.66 DOP 38.20

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.48 DOP 202

-11.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.20 DOP 128

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.82 DOP 338

-46.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.27 DOP 73.7

3.15%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

13.30%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

-27.14%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$77.4 DOP 4,496

5.05%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$20.00 DOP 1,162

12.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$36.71 DOP 2,133

-18.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$25.00 DOP 1,453

111.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.62 DOP 385

-25.68%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$266 DOP 15.5K

-24.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,285 DOP 365.2K

-17.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$60.0 DOP 3,484

-40.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$51.3 DOP 2,979

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$97.7 DOP 5,679

-18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$114 DOP 6,600

-23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$468 DOP 27.2K

108.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$465 DOP 27.0K

1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,425 DOP 82.8K

15.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,300 DOP 75.6K

-7.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,946 DOP 113.1K

103.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,802 DOP 104.7K

266.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.9

-11.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sosua: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $468 in Sosua. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $51.0 in Sosua. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $225 in Sosua – so Sosua wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Sosua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 5%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,797 in Sosua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sosua, 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,198 in Sosua. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $266 in Sosua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sosua, where all-in costs run around $1,198, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Sosua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sosua – 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 Sosua. 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.