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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,227 in Tepelene, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,874 in Tepelene, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,520 in Tepelene, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Tepelene, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tepelene are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Tepelene 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.16 ALL 803

17.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$54.3 ALL 4,291

-12.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.49 ALL 907

2.26%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.47 ALL 195

66.80%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.49 ALL 196

-43.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.29 ALL 102

-29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.58 ALL 282

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.05 ALL 320

74.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.24 ALL 177

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.28 ALL 101

67.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.44 ALL 192

-27.46%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.74 ALL 295

-24.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.57 ALL 1,071

-32.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.12 ALL 720

1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$17.65 ALL 1,394

-28.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.93 ALL 152

52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.55 ALL 201

-38.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.18 ALL 172

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.96 ALL 155

20.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.08 ALL 85.1

84.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.27 ALL 101

55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.50 ALL 118

-17.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.83 ALL 65.2

45.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.00 ALL 395

-8.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.38 ALL 899

-7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.82 ALL 144

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.04 ALL 161

35.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.48 ALL 38.27

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.28 ALL 1,602

46.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.71 ALL 293

41.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.84 ALL 304

-4.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$19.08 ALL 1,507

-69.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.41 ALL 190

-36.10%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$34.4K ALL 2.7M

-33.73%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$36.0K ALL 2.8M

-28.34%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$105 ALL 8,269

-13.40%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$19.08 ALL 1,507

32.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.97 ALL 1,656

51.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$59.1 ALL 4,669

16.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$10.26 ALL 810

-52.63%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$355 ALL 28.0K

-36.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,347 ALL 659.3K

-49.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$50.8 ALL 4,010

-6.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$47.35 ALL 3,739

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$125 ALL 9,863

-35.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$114 ALL 8,983

-19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$482 ALL 38.1K

125.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$336 ALL 26.5K

21.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$711 ALL 56.1K

177.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$487 ALL 38.4K

163.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,887 ALL 149.0K

114.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,250 ALL 98.7K

436.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$701 ALL 55.3K

10.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.64

103.01%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tepelene: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $482 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 10% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $54.0 in Tepelene. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $300 – 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 6%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,841 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,227 in Tepelene. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 46% 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 $1,227, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.