Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zaragoza, El Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Zaragoza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $635 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Zaragoza $635

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,036 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Zaragoza $1,036

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,437 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Zaragoza $1,437

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% more than Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zaragoza are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Zaragoza 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$6.95 $6.95

57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$29.51 $29.51

46.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$6.96 $6.96

69.25%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.54 $1.54

147.40%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.11 $1.11

15.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.81 $0.81

-3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.24 $1.24

155.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.12 $2.12

132.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.78 $1.78

-20.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.27 $2.27

-2.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.97 $0.97

46.39%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.50 $2.50

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.49 $7.49

-3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.92 $3.92

96.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$5.36 $5.36

136.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.99 $3.99

-30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.42 $1.42

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.58 $2.58

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$2.14 $2.14

-0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.96 $2.96

-34.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.82 $1.82

3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.96 $0.96

19.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.79 $0.79

49.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$3.77 $3.77

14.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$8.20 $8.20

21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.60 $1.60

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.21 $2.21

20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.48 $1.48

-62.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$4.90 $4.90

1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.93 $2.93

13.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$20.10 $20.10

-73.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.12 $1.12

28.57%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$24.8K $24.8K

-16.58%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$24.6K $24.6K

-4.74%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$46.09 $46.09

83.97%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$21.21 $21.21

10.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$35.34 $35.34

-18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$34.94 $34.94

63.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$5.03 $5.03

2.19%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$150 $150

37.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$4,759 $4,759

-17.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$67.3 $67.3

-35.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$46.68 $46.68

-11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$112 $112

-33.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$69.5 $69.5

28.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.5

34.71%

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 Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Zaragoza

$217 34.1% 15% $38

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Zaragoza

$113 17.8% 44.2% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Zaragoza

$103 16.2% 25% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 18.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 33.2% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Zaragoza

$25 * 4% 49.5% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Zaragoza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $217 – making Zaragoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

13:04 1:04 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

11,749

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zaragoza 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 90%, 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 $953 in Zaragoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $635 in Zaragoza. That’s a gap of about 90%.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $150 in Zaragoza. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaragoza, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Zaragoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $635 in Zaragoza to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.