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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,093 in Tampico, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,742 in Tampico, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,390 in Tampico, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tampico are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Tampico 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.47 MX$112

81.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$41.92 MX$727

-0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.99 MX$104

77.63%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.34 MX$57.8

5.39%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.86 MX$14.93

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.82 MX$14.26

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.42 MX$24.69

107.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.09 MX$36.30

112.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.45 MX$25.05

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$3.89 MX$67.4

-51.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.55 MX$26.79

5.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$3.98 MX$69.0

-36.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.47 MX$77.5

86.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.46 MX$147

-1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.05 MX$191

-2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.77 MX$47.99

-6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.20 MX$20.78

21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.75 MX$30.41

8.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.59 MX$27.59

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.83 MX$31.76

-2.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.17 MX$37.68

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.64 MX$28.48

-36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.90 MX$15.52

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.27 MX$73.9

-4.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$10.82 MX$188

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.76 MX$30.50

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.60 MX$45.01

-0.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.77 MX$13.28

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$26.44 MX$458

0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.66 MX$46.01

22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.49 MX$43.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$4.94 MX$85.6

-34.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.33 MX$22.98

-1.50%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$41.7K MX$722.3K

-27.35%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.0K MX$380.9K

6.59%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$79.0 MX$1,369

4.87%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$25.85 MX$448

-14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$23.95 MX$415

22.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$38.83 MX$673

32.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.82 MX$274

15.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.19 MX$89.9

-2.31%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$238 MX$4,122

-15.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,662 MX$63.5K

42.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$84.7 MX$1,468

-56.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$62.7 MX$1,087

-36.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$161 MX$2,787

-51.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$78.6 MX$1,362

10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$502 MX$8,695

93.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$317 MX$5,496

47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$819 MX$14.2K

100.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$617 MX$10.7K

98.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,682 MX$29.1K

134.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,410 MX$24.4K

360.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$597 MX$10.3K

11.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.75

-2.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $502 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 11% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Tampico. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $263 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 19%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,640 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,093 in Tampico. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Tampico. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tampico, where all-in costs run around $1,093, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Tampico it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Tampico. 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.