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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $416 in Waling, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $685 in Waling, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $954 in Waling, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 203% 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 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$1.86 NPR 285

530.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$19.02 NPR 2,914

120.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$6.72 NPR 1,029

56.40%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.91 NPR 293

87.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.50 NPR 77.3

202.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.16 NPR 24.14

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.54 NPR 389

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.74 NPR 574

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$0.86 NPR 132

62.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.53 NPR 80.9

254.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.95 NPR 145

64.21%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.44 NPR 221

81.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$7.46 NPR 1,142

11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$2.83 NPR 433

195.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$3.60 NPR 552

201.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.26 NPR 346

19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.89 NPR 136

69.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.25 NPR 191

49.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$0.65 NPR 99.2

236.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.42 NPR 63.9

342.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.46 NPR 70.3

384.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.53 NPR 81.6

101.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.21 NPR 32.06

419.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.93 NPR 449

43.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$5.31 NPR 814

96.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$2.26 NPR 347

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.29 NPR 504

-20.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.18 NPR 27.31

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$2.20 NPR 337

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.11 NPR 170

116.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$3.69 NPR 565

-15.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.29 NPR 197

1.55%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$32.2K NPR 4.9M

-7.48%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$41.0K NPR 6.3M

-43.06%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$32.99 NPR 5,054

146.38%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$5.00 NPR 766

351.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$9.83 NPR 1,506

205.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$18.45 NPR 2,827

186.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$3.22 NPR 493

52.80%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$90.9 NPR 13.9K

120.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,837 NPR 587.8K

34.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$24.72 NPR 3,786

45.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$27.43 NPR 4,202

46.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$58.8 NPR 9,010

35.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$38.83 NPR 5,948

122.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$103 NPR 15.8K

849.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$63.7 NPR 9,757

638.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$204 NPR 31.3K

708.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$147 NPR 22.5K

717.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,052 NPR 161.1K

275.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,255 NPR 192.3K

426.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Waling: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $103 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Waling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $131 – 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 203%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $624 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $416 in Waling. 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 $90.9 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 $416, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.