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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,960 in Tumba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,030 in Tumba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,280 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,099 in Tumba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 35% cheaper than Tumba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Tumba is 45% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 MX$220

$14.56 SEK 138

-11.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 MX$779

$67.5 SEK 640

-32.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.58 MX$215

$10.63 SEK 101

18.34%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MX$67.2

$4.40 SEK 41.65

-10.68%

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

$1.38 MX$23.66

$2.70 SEK 25.63

-48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 MX$12.91

$2.33 SEK 22.10

-67.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.1

$7.26 SEK 68.8

-58.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 MX$116

$7.43 SEK 70.4

-8.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.52

$1.80 SEK 17.09

-7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.94

$3.23 SEK 30.65

-31.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.05

$3.96 SEK 37.51

-57.07%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.62

$5.17 SEK 48.96

-48.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MX$156

$13.79 SEK 131

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 MX$153

$13.89 SEK 132

-35.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 MX$215

$17.63 SEK 167

-28.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MX$51.2

$3.25 SEK 30.81

-8.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.21

$2.70 SEK 25.54

-43.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.65

$2.14 SEK 20.25

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$39.24

$4.71 SEK 44.64

-51.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.11

$1.56 SEK 14.80

31.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MX$34.96

$1.88 SEK 17.79

8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.74

$2.39 SEK 22.61

-49.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$20.19

$1.96 SEK 18.56

-39.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$79.1

$7.30 SEK 69.2

-36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 MX$178

$10.62 SEK 101

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.19

$1.98 SEK 18.72

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MX$50.1

$2.32 SEK 22.01

26.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.17

$4.47 SEK 42.32

-86.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.43 MX$487

$108 SEK 1,023

-73.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 MX$86.7

$6.11 SEK 57.9

-17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 MX$62.6

$1.53 SEK 14.49

139.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 MX$100

$60.8 SEK 576

-90.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.84

$1.84 SEK 17.43

-14.67%

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

$22.3K MX$381.6K

$34.4K SEK 325.5K

-35.10%

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

$25.7K MX$440.6K

$34.6K SEK 327.9K

-25.60%

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

$88.7 MX$1,518

$184 SEK 1,743

-51.82%

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

$22.82 MX$391

$23.04 SEK 218

-0.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.42 MX$521

$49.34 SEK 468

-38.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MX$1,169

$41.85 SEK 397

63.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.60 MX$490

$28.69 SEK 272

-0.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$84.6

$16.63 SEK 158

-70.29%

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

$216 MX$3,700

$173 SEK 1,642

24.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,146 MX$71.0K

$5,213 SEK 49.4K

-20.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.48 MX$796

$119 SEK 1,132

-61.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MX$755

$56.8 SEK 538

-22.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 MX$1,578

$98.9 SEK 937

-6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 MX$1,598

$197 SEK 1,862

-52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 MX$18.5K

$732 SEK 6,932

47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,660

$570 SEK 5,399

-31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$33.1K

$1,468 SEK 13.9K

31.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 MX$21.9K

$941 SEK 8,913

35.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 MX$67.7K

$4,404 SEK 41.7K

-10.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,438 MX$110.2K

$3,164 SEK 30.0K

103.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$12.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

3.2

262.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 4, 2026

Last update for Tumba: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,080 in Playa del Carmen versus $732 in Tumba. 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $67.0 in Tumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $392 – 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 Tumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tumba is pricier by about 54%, 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 $1,907 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,940 in Tumba. 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,960 in Tumba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 280% 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 $1,271, than in Tumba at $1,960. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tumba 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, Tumba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.