Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tampico

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,304 in Tampico, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Tampico
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Tampico Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Tampico

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,304 in Tampico, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Tampico $1,304

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,065 in Tampico, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Tampico $2,065

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,825 in Tampico, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Tampico $2,825

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Tampico, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tampico are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Tampico 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.28 MX$155

31.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$54.0 MX$1,014

-19.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.58 MX$180

22.96%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.97 MX$55.8

28.28%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.19 MX$22.41

7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.84 MX$15.81

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$4.43 MX$83.3

-28.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$4.79 MX$90.0

2.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.45 MX$27.26

-2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.98 MX$74.8

-44.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.37 MX$25.81

3.65%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$3.98 MX$74.7

-36.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$4.94 MX$92.8

46.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$9.76 MX$183

-21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$12.90 MX$242

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.41 MX$64.0

-18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.10 MX$20.58

24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.01 MX$37.68

26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$2.18 MX$40.91

-2.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$2.04 MX$38.27

-4.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$2.69 MX$50.5

-29.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.08 MX$39.12

-44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.87 MX$16.27

35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$4.68 MX$87.8

-8.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.53 MX$28.69

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.75 MX$14.04

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$27.24 MX$511

-2.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$2.65 MX$49.71

87.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.68 MX$50.2

24.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$5.10 MX$95.7

5.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.38 MX$25.95

4.35%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$32.1K MX$602.2K

-35.58%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$23.9K MX$448.9K

-1.87%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$102 MX$1,914

-16.84%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$27.25 MX$512

-14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$23.53 MX$442

21.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$43.28 MX$813

31.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$16.27 MX$306

77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$5.41 MX$102

-4.99%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$269 MX$5,055

-23.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$7,934 MX$148.9K

-50.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$73.5 MX$1,379

-40.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$65.9 MX$1,236

-37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$161 MX$3,014

-53.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$239 MX$4,488

-62.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$508 MX$9,536

92.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$380 MX$7,129

0.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$932 MX$17.5K

83.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$662 MX$12.4K

62.37%

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

$539 MX$10.1K

36.21%

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 Tampico: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Tampico

$380 29.1% 0.3% $1.1

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Tampico

$258 * 19.8% 1.5% $3.7

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Tampico

$171 13.1% 15.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Tampico

$153 11.7% 11.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Tampico

$243 18.6% 117% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Tampico

$54 4.2% 19.7% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Tampico

$46 3.6% 8.3% $4.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Tampico. 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 36% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $54 in Tampico. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Tampico

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

23:43 11:43 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

297,562

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tampico 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tampico

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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tampico is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,956 in Tampico. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tampico, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $508 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $54 in Tampico. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $269 in Tampico. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,304 in Tampico, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,304 in Tampico. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.