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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,214 in Tropoje, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,886 in Tropoje, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,559 in Tropoje, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Tropoje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tropoje are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Tropoje 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$11.75 ALL 960

1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$59.3 ALL 4,837

-27.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.14 ALL 746

15.86%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.03 ALL 166

78.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.90 ALL 155

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.92 ALL 75.4

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.89 ALL 236

6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.08 ALL 333

9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.05 ALL 167

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.14 ALL 93.3

64.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.22 ALL 181

-26.58%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.99 ALL 326

-33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$13.11 ALL 1,070

-37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.82 ALL 639

6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$15.47 ALL 1,263

-28.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.71 ALL 140

54.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.70 ALL 220

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.99 ALL 163

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.01 ALL 164

3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.32 ALL 108

35.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.33 ALL 109

63.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.51 ALL 123

-28.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.75 ALL 61.0

38.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.28 ALL 349

-7.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.10 ALL 906

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.62 ALL 133

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.08 ALL 169

20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.49 ALL 39.72

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.61 ALL 1,519

44.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.63 ALL 297

-13.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.19 ALL 260

-24.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$17.63 ALL 1,439

-82.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.13 ALL 174

-40.38%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$39.7K ALL 3.2M

-22.13%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$36.1K ALL 2.9M

-35.42%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$107 ALL 8,728

-23.28%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.57 ALL 1,434

27.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.62 ALL 1,520

59.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$54.8 ALL 4,473

-5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$25.02 ALL 2,043

-25.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$9.34 ALL 763

-46.79%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$156 ALL 12.7K

26.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$5,674 ALL 463.3K

-7.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$68.8 ALL 5,620

-47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$50.4 ALL 4,117

-20.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$109 ALL 8,930

-26.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$130 ALL 10.6K

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$457 ALL 37.3K

110.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$346 ALL 28.3K

34.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$621 ALL 50.7K

157.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$443 ALL 36.2K

172.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,103 ALL 171.7K

87.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,155 ALL 94.3K

458.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Tropoje: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $457 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 $59.0 in Tropoje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $280 – 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 6%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,820 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,214 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 $1,214, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.