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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,053 in Wels, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,010 in Wels, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,967 in Wels, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 38% cheaper than Wels, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Wels is 50% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$18.79 €16.26

-38.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$807

$83.1 €71.9

-43.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$12.48 €10.81

-4.81%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.1

$5.05 €4.38

-21.19%

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

$1.43 MX$24.45

$4.42 €3.82

-67.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.13

$3.07 €2.65

-73.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.6

$5.77 €4.99

-44.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

$4.66 €4.04

45.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.71

$1.60 €1.38

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.64

$2.42 €2.10

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.27

$1.74 €1.51

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$46.96

$4.09 €3.54

-33.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$16.08 €13.92

-40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$154

$13.81 €11.95

-34.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$219

$21.42 €18.55

-40.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.49

$2.73 €2.36

5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.65

$1.81 €1.57

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.80

$2.74 €2.37

-21.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.71

$2.93 €2.54

-22.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.93

$1.77 €1.53

11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.09

$1.34 €1.16

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.15

$1.93 €1.67

-36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.50

$0.82 €0.71

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

$7.71 €6.68

-40.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.11 €7.02

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.74

$0.77 €0.67

110.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.35

$2.02 €1.75

42.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$2.81 €2.43

-78.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$493

$39.81 €34.47

-27.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.3

$6.81 €5.90

-20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

$2.52 €2.18

48.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

$35.18 €30.46

-83.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.32

$1.86 €1.61

-17.20%

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

$22.5K MX$386.3K

$30.2K €26.1K

-25.27%

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

$26.1K MX$446.5K

$30.5K €26.4K

-14.62%

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

$91.4 MX$1,566

$402 €348

-77.27%

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

$25.20 MX$432

$14.69 €12.71

71.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$535

$37.56 €32.52

-16.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,151

$46.73 €40.46

43.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

$34.70 €30.04

-16.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.3

$13.91 €12.04

-65.06%

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

$224 MX$3,832

$875 €757

-74.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

$13.1K €11.3K

-67.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$807

$160 €139

-70.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$759

$52.5 €45.42

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,373

$117 €101

-31.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,588

$210 €182

-55.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$707 €612

50.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,686

$566 €490

-31.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.8K

$980 €848

119.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$816 €706

55.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

$4,336 €3,753

-7.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.4K

$3,619 €3,133

79.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$3,186 €2,758

-76.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.57

220.73%

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 Wels: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $707 in Wels. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 320% higher in Wels, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $83.0 in Wels. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $345 – 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 Wels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wels is pricier by about 62%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. 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 $3,079 in Wels. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $2,053 in Wels. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Wels at $2,053. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wels it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wels makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.