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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,204 in Sosua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,051 in Sosua, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,898 in Sosua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% 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

$11.87 MX$204

$8.32 DOP 487

42.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$51.7 DOP 3,029

-17.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.23 DOP 424

47.30%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.71 DOP 158

27.31%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.03 DOP 60.5

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.84 DOP 49.30

13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.51 DOP 147

20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$5.13 DOP 301

-10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.39 DOP 81.4

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.80 DOP 106

2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.17 DOP 68.3

37.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.81 DOP 106

43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.02 DOP 411

17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.21 DOP 364

34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.87 DOP 461

35.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.64 DOP 155

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.77 DOP 45.09

93.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.98 DOP 174

-35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.89 DOP 111

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.37 DOP 139

-21.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.32 DOP 136

-2.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.00 DOP 58.6

6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.75 DOP 43.86

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.61 DOP 328

-26.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.78 DOP 632

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.60 DOP 152

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.52 DOP 148

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.70 DOP 41.26

-22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.50 DOP 205

-10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.18 DOP 128

15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.80 DOP 340

-45.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.32 DOP 77.2

-3.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

14.63%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.9K DOP 1.9M

-26.04%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$77.8 DOP 4,557

6.70%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$20.16 DOP 1,181

12.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$35.88 DOP 2,102

-17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$25.96 DOP 1,521

96.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.60 DOP 386

-25.30%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$267 DOP 15.6K

-25.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,318 DOP 370.1K

-16.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.2 DOP 3,465

-37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$52.1 DOP 3,050

-23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$96.1 DOP 5,631

-16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$114 DOP 6,698

-21.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$460 DOP 26.9K

107.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$474 DOP 27.7K

0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,440 DOP 84.3K

14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,299 DOP 76.1K

-5.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,924 DOP 112.7K

103.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,834 DOP 107.4K

252.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sosua: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $460 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $52.0 in Sosua. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $223 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 6%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,806 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,204 in Sosua. 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 $267 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 $1,204, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.