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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,240 in Tunapuna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,016 in Tunapuna, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,791 in Tunapuna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 2% more than Tunapuna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tunapuna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Tunapuna 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.90 TTD 39.60

98.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$74.9 TTD 503

-44.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.76 TTD 45.36

55.47%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.92 TTD 19.64

22.95%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.54 TTD 3.61

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.45 TTD 3.03

104.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.45 TTD 9.74

104.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.94 TTD 19.74

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.03 TTD 13.61

-31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.82 TTD 18.92

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.68 TTD 18.01

-41.79%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$4.95 TTD 33.21

-47.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.86 TTD 52.8

5.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$10.31 TTD 69.2

-19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$14.02 TTD 94.2

-22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.66 TTD 38.00

-52.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.49 TTD 16.71

-39.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.34 TTD 29.17

-56.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.64 TTD 31.14

-52.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.44 TTD 9.69

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.67 TTD 11.23

33.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.96 TTD 13.16

-45.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.01 TTD 6.78

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.18 TTD 34.81

-19.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$19.32 TTD 130

-46.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.44 TTD 9.70

15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.84 TTD 19.07

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.06 TTD 7.10

190.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.22 TTD 8.21

96.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$14.84 TTD 99.7

-78.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.02 TTD 6.83

28.43%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.0K TTD 228.6K

-12.43%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$39.1K TTD 262.3K

-40.29%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$81.2 TTD 545

0.15%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$46.77 TTD 314

-51.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$62.4 TTD 419

-51.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$10.19 TTD 68.4

-51.72%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$329 TTD 2,210

-38.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,210 TTD 48.4K

-28.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$58.3 TTD 392

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.16 TTD 256

5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$146 TTD 977

-45.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$59.1 TTD 397

46.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$443 TTD 2,972

120.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$392 TTD 2,630

20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,029 TTD 6,906

60.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$715 TTD 4,800

68.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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 Tunapuna: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Tunapuna. 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 $75.0 in Tunapuna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $359 – 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 Tunapuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 2%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,860 in Tunapuna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tunapuna, 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 $1,240 in Tunapuna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $329 in Tunapuna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tunapuna, where all-in costs run around $1,240, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Tunapuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tunapuna – 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 Tunapuna. 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.