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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $992 in Tamarin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,697 in Tamarin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,402 in Tamarin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% 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 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.59 MUR 309

77.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$42.54 MUR 1,993

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.37 MUR 252

95.72%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.58 MUR 121

39.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.92 MUR 42.92

64.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.61 MUR 28.52

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.62 MUR 75.7

82.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.77 MUR 83.1

149.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.53 MUR 71.9

-8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.37 MUR 17.18

408.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.33 MUR 62.5

17.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.18 MUR 102

19.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$5.61 MUR 263

48.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.33 MUR 297

31.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.93 MUR 465

9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.98 MUR 92.8

36.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.97 MUR 92.3

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.44 MUR 67.5

29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.71 MUR 127

-19.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.95 MUR 44.64

95.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.95 MUR 44.64

134.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.80 MUR 37.69

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.81 MUR 37.86

34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.77 MUR 317

-38.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.47 MUR 397

23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.80 MUR 84.3

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.62 MUR 75.7

61.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.12 MUR 52.3

-51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.17 MUR 523

134.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.30 MUR 202

-28.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.64 MUR 123

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.78 MUR 318

-53.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.31 MUR 61.5

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

3.24%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.5K MUR 1.3M

-15.16%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$48.69 MUR 2,281

66.93%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$16.10 MUR 754

40.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$29.81 MUR 1,396

0.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$50.5 MUR 2,365

4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$11.17 MUR 523

64.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.16 MUR 289

-20.13%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$151 MUR 7,080

32.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,192 MUR 149.5K

62.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.1 MUR 2,770

-39.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$47.47 MUR 2,223

-15.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$87.8 MUR 4,115

-9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$58.9 MUR 2,757

46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$756 MUR 35.4K

29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$380 MUR 17.8K

23.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,435 MUR 67.2K

15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$952 MUR 44.6K

26.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$831 MUR 38.9K

-18.62%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $756 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 23% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Tamarin. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $199 in Tamarin – so Tamarin 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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 27%, 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 $1,488 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $992 in Tamarin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 134% 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 $992, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.