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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $904 in Yala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,446 in Yala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,987 in Yala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Yala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Yala are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Yala 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$1.52 ฿49.65

671.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$26.98 ฿884

54.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$6.36 ฿208

63.68%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.04 ฿66.8

76.96%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.57 ฿18.80

156.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.20 ฿6.63

385.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$2.42 ฿79.3

20.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$3.68 ฿121

25.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.69 ฿55.3

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$1.35 ฿44.28

40.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.26 ฿41.21

24.60%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.16 ฿70.7

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$18.22 ฿597

-53.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$2.96 ฿97.1

189.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$10.99 ฿360

0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$3.27 ฿107

-17.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.20 ฿39.22

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.96 ฿64.3

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$1.58 ฿51.9

37.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.46 ฿47.85

28.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$1.25 ฿41.00

78.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.02 ฿33.52

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.49 ฿16.00

118.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$4.41 ฿144

-5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$16.99 ฿557

-39.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.73 ฿56.8

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.75 ฿90.2

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.60 ฿19.67

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$1.06 ฿34.82

201.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$1.19 ฿38.96

106.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$6.30 ฿206

-49.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.06 ฿34.64

24.53%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$27.7K ฿907.0K

8.94%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$27.8K ฿911.4K

-15.88%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$77.5 ฿2,539

4.98%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$12.28 ฿403

82.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$18.74 ฿614

59.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$50.0 ฿1,640

3.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$12.22 ฿400

50.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$6.97 ฿228

-25.97%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$298 ฿9,760

-32.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$9,666 ฿316.7K

-45.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$34.04 ฿1,115

4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$34.30 ฿1,124

17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$97.3 ฿3,188

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$71.1 ฿2,329

22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$431 ฿14.1K

120.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$280 ฿9,165

70.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$811 ฿26.6K

99.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$664 ฿21.7K

84.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$2,194 ฿71.9K

82.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$1,679 ฿55.0K

285.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Yala: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $431 in Yala. 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 $27.00 in Yala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $251 – making Yala 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 Yala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,356 in Yala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yala, 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $904 in Yala. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $298 in Yala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yala, where all-in costs run around $904, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Yala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yala – 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 Yala. 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.