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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $338 in Tongi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $539 in Tongi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $740 in Tongi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 274% more than Tongi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tongi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Tongi 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$2.07 ৳253

460.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$9.20 ৳1,129

412.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$4.87 ৳598

143.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ৳287

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ৳547

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.90 ৳233

109.47%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.34 ৳41.14

320.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.16 ৳19.53

412.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.76 ৳93.0

121.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.53 ৳65.1

315.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$0.64 ৳78.6

167.19%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.12 ৳138

144.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$7.76 ৳953

23.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.09 ৳256

331.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$6.07 ৳744

111.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.51 ৳309

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$0.75 ৳91.6

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.29 ৳281

-6.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.71 ৳87.5

218.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.21 ৳25.16

842.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.52 ৳63.7

282.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.44 ৳53.9

179.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.28 ৳33.88

328.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.85 ৳963

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ৳331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 ৳603

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.90 ৳356

56.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.46 ৳56.4

30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.80 ৳98.6

573.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.42 ৳51.1

788.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$2.89 ৳355

99.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.02 ৳126

50.98%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$29.7K ৳3.6M

-24.05%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$32.7K ৳4.0M

-20.32%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$30.11 ৳3,695

203.49%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$3.90 ৳479

546.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$8.06 ৳989

287.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$13.55 ৳1,663

395.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$3.75 ৳461

29.60%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$26.00 ৳3,190

760.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$1,570 ৳192.7K

169.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$21.63 ৳2,654

117.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$24.41 ৳2,995

81.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$32.94 ৳4,042

143.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$33.93 ৳4,164

173.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$87.7 ৳10.8K

1111.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$51.4 ৳6,302

659.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$167 ৳20.5K

1189.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$114 ৳14.0K

1018.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$645 ৳79.1K

520.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$102 ৳12.5K

644.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.48

9.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tongi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.7 in Tongi. 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 644% 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 $9.00 in Tongi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $108 – 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 274%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $507 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $338 in Tongi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $26.00 in Tongi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tongi, where all-in costs run around $338, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.