Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tamale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $142 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tamale

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $142 in Tamale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Tamale $142

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $215 in Tamale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Tamale $215

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $288 in Tamale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Tamale $288

Playa del Carmen costs about 747% more than Tamale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tamale are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Tamale 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.39 GHS 39.45

222.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$10.17 GHS 118

15.83%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.82 GHS 9.56

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.45 GHS 5.23

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$0.89 GHS 10.36

256.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.31 GHS 15.30

276.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$3.10 GHS 36.06

-54.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.67 GHS 19.41

32.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$3.79 GHS 44.18

-62.53%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.26 GHS 14.73

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.82 GHS 9.56

-32.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$8,549 GHS 99.6K

-54.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Tamale: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Tamale

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Tamale

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Tamale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Tamale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Tamale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Tamale

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Tamale

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇭 Tamale

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

18:54 6:54 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

950,124

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 GHS = 8.58 USD

100 GHS = 7.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 11.65 GHS (100 GHS = 8.58 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tamale 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tamale

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 Tamale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 747%, 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 $213 in Tamale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $142 in Tamale. That makes Tamale about 88% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 269% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tamale, where all-in costs run around $142, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Tamale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $142 in Tamale to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.