Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Rafti and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Rafti and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,303 per month in Porto Rafti vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,998 per month in Porto Rafti vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Porto Rafti vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Porto Rafti costs about 1% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 €10.01

$11.73 MX$203

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €48.33

$41.62 MX$720

35.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 €7.54

$10.64 MX$184

-17.67%

Cappuccino

$3.91 €3.36

$3.52 MX$60.9

11.08%

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

$1.60 €1.38

$1.51 MX$26.12

5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$0.97 MX$16.84

-43.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.95 MX$51.0

56.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.91

$4.45 MX$77.0

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.38 MX$23.93

27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.89 MX$32.72

-38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 €2.00

$1.64 MX$28.32

42.07%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.60

$2.51 MX$43.34

66.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 €9.82

$8.34 MX$144

36.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 €7.84

$8.34 MX$144

9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 €11.74

$10.73 MX$186

27.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.60 MX$45.04

-16.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.46 MX$25.20

59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.90 MX$32.87

-12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.08 MX$35.91

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.78 MX$30.71

-29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.19 MX$37.80

-48.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.81

$1.04 MX$17.99

-8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$1.08 MX$18.62

-45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 €4.55

$4.08 MX$70.6

29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 €5.58

$10.32 MX$178

-37.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.71 MX$29.61

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.58 MX$44.54

-8.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.51 MX$8.81

209.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.24 €39.78

$26.46 MX$458

74.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.26 MX$56.4

20.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.73 €10.09

$3.25 MX$56.2

260.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.31 MX$22.61

55.73%

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

$31.9K €27.5K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

5.42%

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

$25.2K €21.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

7.57%

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

$157 €135

$82.9 MX$1,433

89.01%

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

$22.24 €19.13

$22.22 MX$384

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.54 €24.55

$29.34 MX$507

-2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.11 €42.25

$51.6 MX$893

-4.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 €22.92

$18.32 MX$317

45.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 €8.08

$5.07 MX$87.6

85.21%

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

$525 €452

$201 MX$3,473

161.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,478 €5,573

$5,212 MX$90.1K

24.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 €56.7

$36.92 MX$639

78.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.48 €25.36

$39.79 MX$688

-25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 €57.7

$78.5 MX$1,357

-14.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.5

$87.1 MX$1,506

23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 €419

$973 MX$16.8K

-49.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 €337

$468 MX$8,090

-16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 €658

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-53.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 €524

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-50.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,887 €4,204

$3,946 MX$68.3K

23.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,542 €2,187

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-60.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 €754

$664 MX$11.5K

31.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.42

-61.30%

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

Last update for Porto Rafti: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Porto Rafti versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Porto Rafti, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Porto Rafti versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $249 – 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

Porto Rafti vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Porto Rafti is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,955 per month in Porto Rafti and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,303 in Porto Rafti and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Porto Rafti at $1,303. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porto Rafti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Porto Rafti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.