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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,231 in Tsu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,857 in Tsu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,483 in Tsu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 2% more than Tsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tsu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Tsu 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.96 ¥1,131

72.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$19.23 ¥3,125

117.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.24 ¥689

153.54%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.24 ¥526

8.02%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.14 ¥185

27.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.71 ¥115

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.84 ¥462

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.40 ¥715

2.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.60 ¥259

-10.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.43 ¥233

28.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.81 ¥781

-67.36%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.46 ¥399

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.75 ¥1,746

-22.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.58 ¥1,068

28.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$19.22 ¥3,123

-44.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.55 ¥577

-26.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.13 ¥347

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.49 ¥405

-21.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.31 ¥700

-51.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.73 ¥280

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.25 ¥203

73.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.37 ¥222

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.90 ¥146

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.95 ¥641

3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.40 ¥1,528

8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.11 ¥342

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.91 ¥472

-13.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.61 ¥262

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$56.5 ¥9,184

-53.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.43 ¥720

-27.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.39 ¥551

-28.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$23.34 ¥3,791

-86.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.23 ¥200

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.7K ¥3.7M

30.72%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

37.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$133 ¥21.7K

-38.53%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.56 ¥4,315

-13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$30.61 ¥4,974

-1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$56.6 ¥9,196

-8.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.81 ¥2,244

34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.41 ¥2,017

-59.87%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$68.8 ¥11.2K

186.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

-49.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$44.16 ¥7,175

-19.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.57 ¥4,804

36.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$67.7 ¥11.0K

16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$94.8 ¥15.4K

-6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$463 ¥75.2K

104.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$325 ¥52.8K

45.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$859 ¥139.6K

91.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$664 ¥107.8K

82.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,866 ¥790.6K

-16.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,303 ¥374.2K

180.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.81

530.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tsu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $463 in Tsu. 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 $19.00 in Tsu. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $303 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 – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,847 in Tsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsu, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,231 in Tsu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 117% less in Tsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tsu, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Tsu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tsu – 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 Tsu. 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.