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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $955 in Tamarin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,638 in Tamarin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,321 in Tamarin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Tamarin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tamarin are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Tamarin 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.74 MUR 273

102.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.06 MUR 1,808

23.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.15 MUR 340

66.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.62 MUR 125

51.91%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.15 MUR 54.4

24.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.66 MUR 31.15

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.72 MUR 129

17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.74 MUR 82.8

290.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.49 MUR 70.6

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.20 MUR 9.50

1000.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.16 MUR 55.2

47.41%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.41 MUR 114

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$3.88 MUR 185

146.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.20 MUR 295

45.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.24 MUR 534

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.23 MUR 106

29.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.19 MUR 104

-31.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.46 MUR 69.2

47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.92 MUR 139

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.95 MUR 45.19

108.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.01 MUR 47.97

97.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.74 MUR 35.23

66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.83 MUR 39.54

44.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.13 MUR 291

-25.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.33 MUR 396

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.62 MUR 77.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.87 MUR 88.9

54.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.83 MUR 39.33

-27.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.27 MUR 203

26.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.20 MUR 152

16.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$6.40 MUR 304

-9.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.33 MUR 62.9

15.79%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

-23.98%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

-17.81%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$45.05 MUR 2,140

102.84%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$10.74 MUR 510

134.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$28.92 MUR 1,374

8.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$42.04 MUR 1,997

59.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.42 MUR 305

-24.30%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$130 MUR 6,157

72.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$3,114 MUR 147.9K

35.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$55.9 MUR 2,657

-15.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$45.81 MUR 2,176

-3.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$85.6 MUR 4,065

-6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$59.1 MUR 2,805

56.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$754 MUR 35.8K

40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$368 MUR 17.5K

5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,400 MUR 66.5K

53.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$907 MUR 43.1K

40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$844 MUR 40.1K

-10.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $754 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 11% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Tamarin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $199 – 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 33%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,432 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $955 in Tamarin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $130 in Tamarin. 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 Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.