Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $625 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $625 in Tehran, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Tehran $625

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,071 in Tehran, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Tehran $1,071

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,516 in Tehran, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Tehran $1,516

Playa del Carmen costs about 94% more than Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tehran are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Tehran 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$3.66 $3.66

199.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$17.96 $17.96

149.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$3.96 $3.96

201.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$1.39 $1.39

173.38%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$0.49 $0.49

167.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$1.65 $1.65

-47.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$0.70 $0.70

108.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$0.62 $0.62

275.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.48 $3.48

-58.62%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$1.23 $1.23

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$4.29 $4.29

79.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$3.45 $3.45

128.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$10.40 $10.40

23.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$1.40 $1.40

108.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.87 $1.87

-24.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$1.20 $1.20

114.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$0.67 $0.67

219.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$0.54 $0.54

261.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$0.47 $0.47

312.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$0.58 $0.58

98.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.28 $0.28

335.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$2.56 $2.56

71.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.11 $0.11

372.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$5.46 $5.46

402.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$0.52 $0.52

844.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.29 $0.29

1113.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$3.02 $3.02

88.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$0.10 $0.10

1440.00%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$50.0K $50.0K

-57.55%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$44.5K $44.5K

-45.00%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$12.91 $12.91

547.64%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$1.64 $1.64

1365.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$3.79 $3.79

673.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$24.40 $24.40

165.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$13.24 $13.24

122.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$1.96 $1.96

159.69%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$106 $106

95.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$2,548 $2,548

58.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$26.42 $26.42

68.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$37.23 $37.23

12.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$117 $117

-35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$75.0 $75.0

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$420 $420

134.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$267 $267

44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$941 $941

82.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$637 $637

73.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$1,238 $1,238

224.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$708 $708

782.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$211 $211

259.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

24.79

-53.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tehran: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Tehran

$267 42.4% 30.6% $118

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Tehran

$128 20.3% 50.9% $132

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Tehran

$66 10.5% 67.4% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Tehran

$18 2.9% 86.6% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Tehran

$115 18.2% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Tehran

$28 4.5% 62.2% $47

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Tehran

$7.9 1.3% 84.9% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $420 in Tehran. 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 259% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Tehran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $128 – making Tehran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Tehran 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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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 Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $938 in Tehran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tehran, 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $625 in Tehran. That's a gap of about 94%.

Public transport costs about 402% less in Tehran. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tehran, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Tehran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tehran – 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 Tehran. 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.