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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $319 in Tongi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $523 in Tongi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $726 in Tongi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 306% more than Tongi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tongi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Tongi 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.69 ৳207

594.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$10.11 ৳1,239

311.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.84 ৳593

119.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 ৳512

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 ৳576

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.43 ৳175

146.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.35 ৳42.41

331.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.17 ৳20.46

470.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.66 ৳81.3

109.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.56 ৳69.1

237.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.62 ৳75.5

164.52%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.22 ৳150

105.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.00 ৳858

19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.49 ৳306

234.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$5.20 ৳637

106.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.21 ৳271

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.00 ৳123

46.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.11 ৳258

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.66 ৳80.6

215.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.26 ৳31.78

584.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.37 ৳45.69

491.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.33 ৳40.32

215.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.28 ৳34.69

285.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.07 ৳1,111

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ৳274

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ৳590

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.91 ৳357

40.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.20 ৳24.48

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$10.40 ৳1,274

154.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.81 ৳99.0

302.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.39 ৳48.23

538.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.02 ৳247

60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.99 ৳122

32.32%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$28.9K ৳3.5M

4.69%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.8K ৳3.4M

-15.63%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$30.14 ৳3,693

174.95%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$4.70 ৳576

372.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$9.06 ৳1,110

223.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$13.51 ৳1,655

282.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.99 ৳1,469

52.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.19 ৳513

21.00%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$27.46 ৳3,364

631.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$928 ৳113.6K

461.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$16.00 ৳1,960

130.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$17.64 ৳2,162

125.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$33.04 ৳4,048

137.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$36.56 ৳4,479

138.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$70.1 ৳8,583

1288.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$42.05 ৳5,152

1012.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$165 ৳20.2K

895.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$98.9 ৳12.1K

1134.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$761 ৳93.2K

418.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.29

10.98%

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 Tongi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $70.1 in Tongi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $10.00 in Tongi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $104 – making Tongi 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 Tongi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 306%, 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 $479 in Tongi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tongi, 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 $319 in Tongi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 154% less in Tongi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tongi, where all-in costs run around $319, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Tongi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tongi – 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 Tongi. 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.