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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,199 in Tepelene, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,833 in Tepelene, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,467 in Tepelene, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Tepelene, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tepelene are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Tepelene 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$11.64 ALL 952

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$57.8 ALL 4,732

-28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$9.63 ALL 788

10.49%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.07 ALL 169

70.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.89 ALL 154

-20.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.98 ALL 79.8

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.90 ALL 238

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.03 ALL 330

10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.05 ALL 167

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.14 ALL 93.1

65.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.23 ALL 183

-26.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.83 ALL 313

-34.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.04 ALL 1,067

-36.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.55 ALL 618

10.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.39 ALL 1,259

-30.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.72 ALL 141

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.76 ALL 226

-47.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.96 ALL 160

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.99 ALL 163

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.37 ALL 112

29.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.34 ALL 109

63.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.51 ALL 123

-31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.75 ALL 61.3

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.36 ALL 357

-6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.12 ALL 910

-7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.58 ALL 130

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.17 ALL 178

18.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.45 ALL 36.53

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$19.09 ALL 1,561

38.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.52 ALL 288

-7.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.07 ALL 251

-18.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.96 ALL 1,470

-81.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.09 ALL 171

-37.32%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$40.4K ALL 3.3M

-25.14%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$35.6K ALL 2.9M

-34.16%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$107 ALL 8,729

-22.33%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.56 ALL 1,436

26.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.64 ALL 1,525

57.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$54.7 ALL 4,476

-5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$25.13 ALL 2,056

-27.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.69 ALL 792

-47.68%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$162 ALL 13.2K

24.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,572 ALL 455.9K

-6.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$61.0 ALL 4,994

-39.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$49.61 ALL 4,058

-19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$109 ALL 8,927

-28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$129 ALL 10.6K

-32.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$450 ALL 36.9K

115.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$342 ALL 28.0K

36.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$603 ALL 49.3K

172.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$439 ALL 35.9K

178.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,955 ALL 160.0K

101.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,340 ALL 109.6K

384.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$663 ALL 54.3K

0.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.52

106.88%

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 Tepelene: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $450 in Tepelene. 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 0% 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 $58.0 in Tepelene. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $278 – 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 Tepelene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. 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 $1,799 in Tepelene. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tepelene, 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 $1,199 in Tepelene. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Tepelene. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tepelene, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Tepelene it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tepelene – 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 Tepelene. 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.