Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tortona

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,782 in Tortona, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Tortona, Italy
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Tortona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tortona

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 Tortona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,782 in Tortona, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Tortona $1,782

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,786 in Tortona, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Tortona $2,786

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,790 in Tortona, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Tortona $3,790

Playa del Carmen is about 32% cheaper than Tortona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Tortona is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$22.65 €20.35
-51.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$79.8 €71.7
-45.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$11.32 €10.17
4.06%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$1.86 €1.67
104.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$3.26 €2.93
-60.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$1.29 €1.16
-39.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$5.61 €5.04
-43.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$4.51 €4.05
9.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.57 €1.41
-10.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$3.08 €2.77
-27.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$2.65 €2.38
-46.42%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$3.33 €2.99
-24.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$14.69 €13.20
-50.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$12.62 €11.34
-38.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$24.10 €21.65
-47.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.10 €2.79
-10.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$2.86 €2.57
-52.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$3.06 €2.75
-16.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$4.15 €3.73
-48.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$1.88 €1.69
3.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.91 €1.72
-1.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$1.38 €1.24
-16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$0.42 €0.38
180.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$6.29 €5.65
-31.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$6.63 €5.96
50.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$1.87 €1.68
-15.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$3.55 €3.19
-24.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$1.81 €1.63
-69.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$37.13 €33.35
-28.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$7.88 €7.08
-36.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$2.21 €1.99
50.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$16.44 €14.77
-67.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$2.08 €1.86
-30.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$31.6K €28.4K
-34.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$35.9K €32.3K
-34.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$274 €246
-69.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$15.55 €13.97
50.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$32.46 €29.16
-11.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$50.1 €44.97
13.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$23.46 €21.07
23.23%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$12.24 €10.99
-58.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$396 €355
-47.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$10.2K €9,172
-61.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$79.6 €71.5
-45.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$41.38 €37.17
0.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$98.0 €88.0
-24.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$139 €125
-35.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$639 €574
53.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$502 €451
-24.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,312 €1,179
30.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$923 €829
16.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$2,881 €2,588
36.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$2,153 €1,934
186.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Tortona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.8
138.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tortona: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Tortona
$502 31.9% $122
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Tortona
$365 43.4% $111
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Tortona
$293 44.7% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Tortona
$322 136% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Tortona
$161 44.4% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Tortona
$75 10.7% $7.2
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Tortona
$63 25.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $639 in Tortona. 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $80 in Tortona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $365 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Tortona
🕒 Local time
14:04 2:04 PM
20:04 8:04 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
25,227
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Tortona 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Tortona

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 Tortona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Tortona?
Yes – Tortona is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,673 in Tortona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tortona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $639 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Tortona?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,782 in Tortona. That’s a gap of about 48%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 28% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Tortona?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Tortona at $1,782. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tortona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Tortona?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,782 in Tortona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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