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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $984 in Tunapuna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,736 in Tunapuna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,488 in Tunapuna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Tunapuna, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tunapuna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Tunapuna 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.49 TTD 70.6

10.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$74.4 TTD 500

-36.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.05 TTD 54.2

47.58%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.76 TTD 25.29

5.85%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.00 TTD 6.70

43.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.77 TTD 5.16

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.80 TTD 12.09

77.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.90 TTD 19.50

134.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.08 TTD 13.97

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.26 TTD 15.21

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.89 TTD 19.42

-40.83%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.82 TTD 25.67

-28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.77 TTD 45.53

41.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.19 TTD 68.6

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.95 TTD 60.2

43.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.57 TTD 37.46

-48.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.46 TTD 16.56

-39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.62 TTD 24.33

-40.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.19 TTD 28.17

-46.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.71 TTD 4.80

178.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.71 TTD 4.75

180.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.45 TTD 9.75

-15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.16 TTD 7.83

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.23 TTD 35.21

-13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$19.07 TTD 128

-45.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.56 TTD 10.48

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.05 TTD 20.53

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.90 TTD 6.07

498.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.87 TTD 5.83

328.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$14.53 TTD 97.8

-60.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.12 TTD 7.57

37.50%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.3K TTD 251.1K

-39.57%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$41.0K TTD 275.6K

-36.38%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$44.82 TTD 302

103.88%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$42.35 TTD 285

-40.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$44.63 TTD 300

-30.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.67 TTD 58.3

-43.94%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$402 TTD 2,707

-44.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.8K TTD 72.5K

-60.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$55.1 TTD 371

-14.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$36.82 TTD 248

20.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$88.9 TTD 598

-9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$59.4 TTD 400

55.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$280 TTD 1,886

279.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$240 TTD 1,615

62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$675 TTD 4,542

218.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$590 TTD 3,969

115.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.75

99.13%

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 Tunapuna: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $74.0 in Tunapuna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $322 – 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 29%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. 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 $1,475 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $984 in Tunapuna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $402 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 $984, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.