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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,226 in Tropoje, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,897 in Tropoje, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,567 in Tropoje, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% 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 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$11.69 ALL 950

0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$58.7 ALL 4,765

-28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.56 ALL 777

9.94%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.02 ALL 164

77.72%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.84 ALL 150

-17.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.98 ALL 79.7

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.90 ALL 236

2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.10 ALL 333

7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.05 ALL 167

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.08 ALL 87.5

74.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.16 ALL 175

-27.78%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.82 ALL 311

-31.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.09 ALL 1,063

-36.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.97 ALL 648

4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$15.58 ALL 1,266

-30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.72 ALL 139

57.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.77 ALL 225

-45.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.07 ALL 168

-9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.00 ALL 162

9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.37 ALL 111

35.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.33 ALL 108

67.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.51 ALL 123

-29.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.74 ALL 60.2

47.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.23 ALL 343

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$11.13 ALL 905

-6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.58 ALL 128

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.05 ALL 167

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.49 ALL 39.69

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$19.08 ALL 1,550

37.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.61 ALL 294

-14.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.07 ALL 249

-21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$17.45 ALL 1,418

-82.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.14 ALL 174

-38.79%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$39.8K ALL 3.2M

-25.08%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$35.6K ALL 2.9M

-34.47%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$107 ALL 8,704

-24.13%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.74 ALL 1,441

27.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.66 ALL 1,516

61.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$55.7 ALL 4,527

-5.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$25.68 ALL 2,086

-28.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$9.18 ALL 746

-46.41%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$157 ALL 12.7K

28.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$5,618 ALL 456.5K

-7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$67.3 ALL 5,468

-46.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$50.4 ALL 4,093

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$107 ALL 8,660

-25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$128 ALL 10.4K

-32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$453 ALL 36.8K

116.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$337 ALL 27.4K

39.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$619 ALL 50.3K

166.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$440 ALL 35.7K

173.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,029 ALL 164.8K

94.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,338 ALL 108.7K

393.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tropoje: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in Tropoje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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 3%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,839 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,226 in Tropoje. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 37% 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 $1,226, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.