Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tel Aviv-Yafo

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $28,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tel Aviv-Yafo

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 Tel Aviv-Yafo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,627

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,355 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,355

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,083 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,083

Playa del Carmen is about 66% cheaper than Tel Aviv-Yafo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Tel Aviv-Yafo is 171% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$26.58 ₪81.3

-58.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$129 ₪393

-65.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$20.71 ₪63.4

-42.44%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$5.49 ₪16.81

-30.78%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$4.06 ₪12.43

-67.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$3.24 ₪9.91

-73.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$11.03 ₪33.75

-70.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$11.32 ₪34.64

-55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$2.60 ₪7.94

-43.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$4.48 ₪13.72

-47.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.83 ₪11.71

-62.40%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$5.32 ₪16.29

-53.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$22.03 ₪67.4

-65.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$16.17 ₪49.47

-51.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$25.43 ₪77.8

-49.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$4.68 ₪14.33

-37.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$3.96 ₪12.11

-64.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.53 ₪7.74

1.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$3.33 ₪10.19

-35.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.91 ₪5.85

2.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.91 ₪5.84

1.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.60 ₪7.97

-55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$2.63 ₪8.05

-53.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$14.56 ₪44.56

-69.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$16.11 ₪49.29

-38.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$3.78 ₪11.56

-59.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$4.77 ₪14.58

-42.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$2.56 ₪7.84

-79.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$101 ₪310

-72.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$4.25 ₪13.02

15.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$1.11 ₪3.39

217.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$19.53 ₪59.8

-70.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.64 ₪8.08

-41.67%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$56.3K ₪172.3K

-62.28%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$57.5K ₪176.0K

-57.42%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$451 ₪1,381

-81.48%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$11.34 ₪34.68

111.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$36.33 ₪111

-19.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$111 ₪339

-41.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$23.04 ₪70.5

27.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$16.19 ₪49.54

-68.56%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$1,727 ₪5,286

-87.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$31.2K ₪95.4K

-87.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$124 ₪379

-64.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$86.7 ₪265

-51.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$175 ₪536

-56.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$200 ₪611

-54.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$2,269 ₪6,941

-56.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$1,627 ₪4,979

-76.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$3,597 ₪11.0K

-52.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,749 ₪8,411

-59.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$20.3K ₪62.1K

-80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$13.2K ₪40.5K

-52.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$4,179 ₪12.8K

-81.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.03

127.63%

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 Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 45% 322% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$517 14.3% 98.5% $256

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$448 12.4% 120% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$499 13.8% 264% $362

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$264 7.3% 131% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$143 4% 90.8% $68

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$121 3.4% 133% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,269 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. 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 451% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 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 $129 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $517 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

438,818

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.291 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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 = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.43 ILS (1 ILS = 0.291 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tel Aviv-Yafo 11,500 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tel Aviv-Yafo

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 Tel Aviv-Yafo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tel Aviv-Yafo is pricier by about 198%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $5,441 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. That's a gap of about 198%.

Public transport costs about 270% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Tel Aviv-Yafo at $3,627. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tel Aviv-Yafo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tel Aviv-Yafo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.