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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,213 in Tropoje, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,881 in Tropoje, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,549 in Tropoje, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 5% more than Tropoje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tropoje are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Tropoje 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.62 ALL 949

2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$59.8 ALL 4,889

-28.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.64 ALL 788

10.48%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.07 ALL 169

66.67%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.83 ALL 149

-18.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.91 ALL 74.0

4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.98 ALL 244

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.18 ALL 342

10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.13 ALL 174

-35.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.13 ALL 92.6

63.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.15 ALL 175

-25.12%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.00 ALL 327

-35.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.90 ALL 1,054

-35.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.70 ALL 629

8.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.90 ALL 1,299

-32.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.79 ALL 146

46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.67 ALL 218

-44.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.03 ALL 166

-5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.93 ALL 157

8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.33 ALL 108

39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.28 ALL 104

76.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.45 ALL 119

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.80 ALL 65.3

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.21 ALL 344

-1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.92 ALL 892

-4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.65 ALL 135

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.08 ALL 170

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.45 ALL 36.53

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.60 ALL 1,520

44.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.44 ALL 281

-9.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.16 ALL 258

-20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.75 ALL 1,451

-82.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.16 ALL 176

-41.20%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$39.6K ALL 3.2M

-23.21%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

-33.32%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$105 ALL 8,607

-21.21%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.78 ALL 1,453

27.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.65 ALL 1,523

57.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$55.7 ALL 4,553

-8.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$24.92 ALL 2,036

-26.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.60 ALL 785

-48.65%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$156 ALL 12.8K

26.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,547 ALL 453.2K

-4.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$67.6 ALL 5,521

-45.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$50.1 ALL 4,092

-20.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$107 ALL 8,759

-25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$131 ALL 10.7K

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$458 ALL 37.4K

108.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$344 ALL 28.1K

38.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$604 ALL 49.3K

172.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$433 ALL 35.4K

182.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,014 ALL 164.5K

94.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,394 ALL 113.9K

363.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Tropoje: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $458 in Tropoje. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $60.0 in Tropoje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $281 – 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 Tropoje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 5%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,819 in Tropoje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tropoje, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,213 in Tropoje. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Tropoje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tropoje, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Tropoje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tropoje – 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 Tropoje. 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.