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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,206 in Sosua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,065 in Sosua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,925 in Sosua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Sosua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sosua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Sosua 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$8.60 DOP 508

38.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$50.2 DOP 2,967

-14.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.94 DOP 410

52.59%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.65 DOP 157

36.60%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.03 DOP 60.9

42.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.82 DOP 48.56

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.51 DOP 148

23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$5.03 DOP 297

-11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.38 DOP 81.7

3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.78 DOP 105

5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.12 DOP 66.0

45.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.88 DOP 111

40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.05 DOP 417

16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.36 DOP 376

30.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.71 DOP 456

43.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.59 DOP 153

2.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.83 DOP 49.20

80.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.93 DOP 173

-32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.98 DOP 117

5.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.27 DOP 134

-21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.31 DOP 136

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.04 DOP 61.4

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.74 DOP 43.93

40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.64 DOP 333

-29.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.76 DOP 695

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.55 DOP 151

-32.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.45 DOP 145

2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.71 DOP 42.17

-26.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.49 DOP 206

-10.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.22 DOP 131

8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.01 DOP 355

-48.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.32 DOP 77.9

-3.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

15.83%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

-26.11%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$77.0 DOP 4,548

6.55%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$20.62 DOP 1,218

8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$35.91 DOP 2,122

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$25.69 DOP 1,518

101.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.78 DOP 401

-26.70%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$263 DOP 15.5K

-24.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,391 DOP 377.6K

-17.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$61.1 DOP 3,609

-40.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$51.5 DOP 3,044

-22.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$94.5 DOP 5,583

-15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$115 DOP 6,799

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$466 DOP 27.5K

106.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$481 DOP 28.4K

-3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,455 DOP 86.0K

9.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,269 DOP 75.0K

-4.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,844 DOP 108.9K

113.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,761 DOP 104.1K

266.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Sosua: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 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 $50.0 in Sosua. Groceries tell a different story – $251 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 7%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,809 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,206 in Sosua. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $263 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 $1,206, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.