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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,166 in Xilitla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,916 in Xilitla, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,667 in Xilitla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Xilitla, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Xilitla are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Xilitla 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$10.61 MX$185

12.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$47.73 MX$830

-10.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.72 MX$134

37.18%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.56 MX$61.9

1.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.32 MX$22.92

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.02 MX$17.78

-7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.87 MX$49.95

7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$5.15 MX$89.5

-13.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.28 MX$22.29

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.70 MX$47.02

-30.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.94 MX$33.82

-15.98%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.64 MX$28.49

60.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.17 MX$125

14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$10.91 MX$190

-24.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$13.67 MX$238

-18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.73 MX$30.03

53.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.72 MX$29.88

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.72 MX$47.30

-26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.96 MX$34.02

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.91 MX$33.22

-6.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.25 MX$21.73

74.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.30 MX$22.58

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.31 MX$22.77

-20.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.26 MX$74.2

-6.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$17.23 MX$300

-40.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.42 MX$42.16

-28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.59 MX$62.5

-30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.64 MX$11.15

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$4.18 MX$72.8

-24.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.20 MX$20.85

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$7.81 MX$136

-60.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.32 MX$22.95

-3.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$18.0K MX$313.7K

71.31%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$10.0K MX$174.7K

132.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$57.2 MX$995

43.45%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$16.10 MX$280

39.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$10.41 MX$181

184.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$35.85 MX$624

44.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$15.95 MX$277

17.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$7.01 MX$122

-29.10%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$338 MX$5,879

-41.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$4,835 MX$84.1K

9.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$62.3 MX$1,084

-41.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$57.7 MX$1,004

-30.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$109 MX$1,901

-26.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$143 MX$2,491

-37.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$518 MX$9,010

86.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$397 MX$6,905

17.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$941 MX$16.4K

69.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$753 MX$13.1K

60.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,008 MX$34.9K

96.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,250 MX$21.7K

415.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.9

-4.03%

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 Xilitla: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Xilitla. 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 $48.00 in Xilitla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $294 – 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 Xilitla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,748 in Xilitla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xilitla, 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 $1,166 in Xilitla. 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 $338 in Xilitla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Xilitla, where all-in costs run around $1,166, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Xilitla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xilitla – 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 Xilitla. 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.