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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,024 in Tamarin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,710 in Tamarin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,396 in Tamarin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 24% more than Tamarin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tamarin are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Tamarin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.47 MUR 304

83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$41.92 MUR 1,974

2.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.51 MUR 260

93.28%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.58 MUR 122

33.72%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.84 MUR 39.63

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.59 MUR 27.92

61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.69 MUR 79.7

79.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.73 MUR 81.7

166.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.49 MUR 70.0

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.40 MUR 18.77

362.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.31 MUR 61.8

22.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.11 MUR 99.5

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$5.35 MUR 252

54.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.24 MUR 294

34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.62 MUR 453

10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.07 MUR 97.6

27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.97 MUR 92.7

-24.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.46 MUR 68.7

31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.67 MUR 126

-21.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.02 MUR 48.09

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.98 MUR 46.33

130.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.78 MUR 36.82

35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.81 MUR 37.96

34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.49 MUR 306

-36.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.44 MUR 397

23.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.71 MUR 80.5

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.62 MUR 76.1

61.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.18 MUR 55.5

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.99 MUR 517

145.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.47 MUR 211

-29.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.74 MUR 129

-8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.69 MUR 315

-52.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.31 MUR 61.6

-3.05%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

7.23%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

-13.89%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.29 MUR 2,321

68.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.05 MUR 756

41.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$30.43 MUR 1,433

-3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$50.9 MUR 2,396

0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$11.10 MUR 523

65.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.12 MUR 288

-19.44%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$153 MUR 7,186

29.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,115 MUR 146.7K

69.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.2 MUR 2,789

-37.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$47.35 MUR 2,230

-15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$87.1 MUR 4,103

-8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$59.3 MUR 2,794

50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$781 MUR 36.8K

22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$388 MUR 18.3K

22.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,452 MUR 68.4K

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$925 MUR 43.6K

32.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$851 MUR 40.1K

-21.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

90.33%

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 Tamarin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $781 in Tamarin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Tamarin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Tamarin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $196 – making Tamarin 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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 24%, 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 $1,536 in Tamarin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tamarin, 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 $1,024 in Tamarin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 145% less in Tamarin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $1,024, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Tamarin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tamarin. 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.