Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Xai-Xai Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Xai-Xai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $708 in Xai-Xai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,119 in Xai-Xai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,531 in Xai-Xai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Xai-Xai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Xai-Xai are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Xai-Xai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.13 MZN 577

31.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$49.45 MZN 3,126

-15.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.31 MZN 525

29.36%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.05 MZN 129

70.73%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.75 MZN 47.60

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.58 MZN 36.96

51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.36 MZN 85.8

116.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.52 MZN 96.0

196.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.51 MZN 95.7

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.06 MZN 66.9

73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.64 MZN 103

-4.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.38 MZN 150

5.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$15.01 MZN 949

-44.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.23 MZN 331

61.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$5.42 MZN 343

97.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.97 MZN 124

32.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.88 MZN 55.8

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.41 MZN 88.9

39.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.93 MZN 58.8

124.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.95 MZN 60.0

94.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.68 MZN 42.77

219.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.90 MZN 56.9

14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.73 MZN 46.33

46.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.62 MZN 166

56.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.83 MZN 558

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.02 MZN 64.4

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.43 MZN 90.6

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.59 MZN 101

103.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.92 MZN 185

-17.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$24.28 MZN 1,535

-86.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.31 MZN 82.8

0.76%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.7K MZN 2.3M

-16.83%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$20.3K MZN 1.3M

16.45%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$91.2 MZN 5,763

-10.03%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$14.49 MZN 916

58.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$106 MZN 6,684

-71.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.94 MZN 502

-37.28%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$178 MZN 11.3K

10.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,805 MZN 367.0K

-8.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$49.82 MZN 3,150

-28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$62.6 MZN 3,959

-35.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$83.0 MZN 5,245

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$79.4 MZN 5,019

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

24.33

-53.06%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Xai-Xai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Xai-Xai. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $197 in Xai-Xai – so Xai-Xai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Xai-Xai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 77%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,062 in Xai-Xai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $708 in Xai-Xai. 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 $178 in Xai-Xai. 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 Xai-Xai, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Xai-Xai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xai-Xai – 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 Xai-Xai. 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.