Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Yap

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,894 in Yap, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Yap

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Yap

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Yap actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,894 in Yap, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Yap $1,894

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,471 in Yap, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Yap $2,471

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,049 in Yap, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Yap $3,049

Playa del Carmen is about 36% cheaper than Yap, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Yap is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$29.87 $29.87

-63.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$59.1 $59.1

-26.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$4.42 $4.42

-13.80%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.74 $1.74

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$5.85 $5.85

-62.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$4.30 $4.30

-66.98%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$5.29 $5.29

37.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$6.04 $6.04

110.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.53 $4.53

-38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$4.40 $4.40

-68.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$4.31 $4.31

-40.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$4.53 $4.53

-53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$5.31 $5.31

-63.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.66 $1.66

13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.46 $1.46

-19.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$3.87 $3.87

-59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$3.04 $3.04

-12.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.98 $0.98

-43.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$21.62 $21.62

23.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$7.40 $7.40

-32.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$5.08 $5.08

5.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.49 $1.49

-3.36%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$4,019 $4,019

414.20%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$3,997 $3,997

487.08%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$80.5 $80.5

5.38%

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$81.5 $81.5

-64.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$24.18 $24.18

79.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$75.6 $75.6

-45.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$80.6 $80.6

-7.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$121 $121

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$991 $991

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$1,004 $1,004

-62.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,016 $1,016

68.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$981 $981

9.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,471 $1,471

168.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,006 $1,006

512.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$262 $262

180.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

400000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yap: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Yap

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Yap

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Yap

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Yap

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Yap

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Yap

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Yap

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $991 in Yap. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $59 in Yap. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $261 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇫🇲 Yap

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

17:04 5:04 PM

15 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

11,577

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Yap 14,040 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Yap

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yap is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,841 in Yap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $991 in Yap. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Yap. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $59 in Yap. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Yap at $1,894. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yap it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,894 in Yap. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.