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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,211 in Tunapuna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,958 in Tunapuna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,706 in Tunapuna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Tunapuna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tunapuna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Tunapuna 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.92 TTD 40.22

101.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$73.1 TTD 496

-41.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.67 TTD 45.30

58.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.95 TTD 20.00

22.71%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.50 TTD 3.37

194.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.42 TTD 2.84

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.45 TTD 9.81

113.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.87 TTD 19.52

55.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.11 TTD 14.35

-32.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.82 TTD 19.15

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.57 TTD 17.46

-36.58%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$5.15 TTD 34.95

-48.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.91 TTD 53.7

3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.43 TTD 70.8

-20.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$14.31 TTD 97.2

-22.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$5.66 TTD 38.45

-53.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.63 TTD 17.84

-42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.29 TTD 29.14

-53.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.60 TTD 31.23

-54.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.43 TTD 9.73

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.71 TTD 11.61

27.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.95 TTD 13.21

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.04 TTD 7.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.10 TTD 34.60

-22.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$19.33 TTD 131

-47.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.44 TTD 9.78

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.71 TTD 18.38

-7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.01 TTD 6.84

210.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.24 TTD 8.39

93.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$15.06 TTD 102

-79.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.06 TTD 7.20

19.81%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.2K TTD 232.4K

-9.77%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$38.9K TTD 264.2K

-40.08%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$81.2 TTD 551

1.06%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$47.13 TTD 320

-52.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$61.2 TTD 416

-51.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.04 TTD 68.2

-50.50%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$332 TTD 2,256

-40.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,101 TTD 48.2K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$58.4 TTD 397

-37.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$37.99 TTD 258

5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$146 TTD 993

-45.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$59.2 TTD 402

50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$448 TTD 3,039

115.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$377 TTD 2,561

23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,037 TTD 7,044

53.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$702 TTD 4,766

72.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Tunapuna: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $448 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.0 in Tunapuna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $363 – 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 6%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,816 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,211 in Tunapuna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $332 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 $1,211, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.