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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,315 in Tsu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,050 in Tsu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,784 in Tsu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 4% cheaper than Tsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tsu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Tsu 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.36 ¥993

82.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$18.04 ¥2,817

161.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$3.82 ¥596

210.99%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.46 ¥384

61.79%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.18 ¥184

21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.65 ¥101

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.10 ¥328

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.30 ¥358

195.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.60 ¥250

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.34 ¥210

64.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$5.71 ¥891

-70.05%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.07 ¥323

32.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$13.10 ¥2,046

-26.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.91 ¥1,548

-9.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$33.12 ¥5,173

-61.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.13 ¥801

-43.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$3.59 ¥561

-58.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.18 ¥497

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.27 ¥667

-47.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$3.94 ¥615

-49.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$3.54 ¥553

-43.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.27 ¥199

-3.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.03 ¥161

16.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.53 ¥552

28.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.32 ¥1,300

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.08 ¥325

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.56 ¥244

84.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.47 ¥230

-59.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$58.4 ¥9,117

-50.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.15 ¥492

71.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.14 ¥491

18.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$27.01 ¥4,217

-78.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.04 ¥163

48.08%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$19.4K ¥3.0M

16.09%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$16.8K ¥2.6M

55.49%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$151 ¥23.6K

-39.48%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$24.90 ¥3,889

1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$43.69 ¥6,823

-28.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$52.1 ¥8,129

29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$12.95 ¥2,022

124.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$8.45 ¥1,320

-42.49%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$329 ¥51.3K

-31.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$6,202 ¥968.5K

-31.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$50.9 ¥7,947

-7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$26.14 ¥4,082

69.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$47.63 ¥7,439

68.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$66.5 ¥10.4K

39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$520 ¥81.1K

104.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$339 ¥53.0K

15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,034 ¥161.4K

107.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$746 ¥116.4K

70.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,763 ¥587.7K

6.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,792 ¥279.9K

262.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,573 ¥245.6K

-51.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.9

502.63%

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 Tsu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Tsu. 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 107% higher in Tsu, 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 $18.00 in Tsu. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $397 in Tsu – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tsu is pricier by about 4%, 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 $1,973 in Tsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,315 in Tsu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 103% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Tsu at $1,315. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tsu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.