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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $426 in Waling, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $689 in Waling, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $951 in Waling, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 199% more than Waling, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Waling are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Waling 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.77 NPR 269

570.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$18.58 NPR 2,827

130.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.59 NPR 1,004

61.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.85 NPR 281

86.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.50 NPR 75.7

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.17 NPR 26.06

458.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.65 NPR 403

14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.54 NPR 539

30.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.81 NPR 123

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.50 NPR 76.0

270.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.99 NPR 150

62.63%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.47 NPR 224

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.49 NPR 1,141

10.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.99 NPR 455

179.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$3.58 NPR 545

197.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.18 NPR 332

20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.84 NPR 128

77.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.20 NPR 182

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.64 NPR 97.5

226.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.38 NPR 58.3

389.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.43 NPR 65.4

425.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.53 NPR 81.0

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.23 NPR 35.15

373.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.94 NPR 448

41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.33 NPR 811

94.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.26 NPR 343

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.25 NPR 495

-19.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.23 NPR 34.32

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.15 NPR 327

45.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.06 NPR 161

136.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.73 NPR 568

-15.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.22 NPR 186

4.10%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.4K NPR 4.9M

-6.27%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$41.3K NPR 6.3M

-42.92%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$32.51 NPR 4,948

155.31%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.00 NPR 761

354.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$9.73 NPR 1,481

202.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$18.10 NPR 2,755

181.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.36 NPR 511

46.73%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$93.2 NPR 14.2K

111.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,780 NPR 575.1K

39.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$25.18 NPR 3,831

46.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.81 NPR 4,232

43.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$59.1 NPR 8,989

35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$39.78 NPR 6,054

124.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$107 NPR 16.2K

797.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$63.6 NPR 9,680

650.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$207 NPR 31.4K

696.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$145 NPR 22.1K

745.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,067 NPR 162.3K

267.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,254 NPR 190.8K

415.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.08

-5.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Waling: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $107 in Waling. 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 $19.00 in Waling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $130 – making Waling 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 Waling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 199%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $639 in Waling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waling, 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 $426 in Waling. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $93.2 in Waling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Waling, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Waling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Waling – 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 Waling. 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.