Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Providenciales and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,530 in Providenciales, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 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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Providenciales

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$3,530

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,530 per month in Providenciales vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Providenciales $3,530
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,963 per month in Providenciales vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Providenciales $5,963
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $8,396 per month in Providenciales vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Providenciales $8,396
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Providenciales costs about 193% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Providenciales sits 159% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 $17.94

$10.92 MX$204

64.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$43.37 MX$808

181.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$11.78 MX$220

-7.13%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$3.81 MX$71.0

60.89%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.28 MX$23.90

128.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.78 MX$14.59

192.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.17 MX$59.0

54.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.93 MX$92.0

34.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.41 MX$26.22

235.46%

White Bread (500g)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.22 MX$41.33

172.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.42 MX$26.42

245.07%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$7.70 MX$143

154.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$12.69 MX$237

42.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.78 MX$51.9

43.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.37 MX$25.50

71.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.55 MX$47.55

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.89 MX$35.16

8.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.18 MX$21.98

188.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$20.08 $20.08

$9.95 MX$185

101.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.97 MX$92.6

-38.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.44 MX$26.92

47.92%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$399 $399

$84.8 MX$1,581

371.15%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$23.41 MX$436

191.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$144 $144

$28.66 MX$534

401.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$57.1 MX$1,063

78.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$498 $498

$207 MX$3,851

141.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K $12.8K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

226.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 $78.5

$43.35 MX$808

81.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 $60.1

$41.44 MX$772

45.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 $152

$74.2 MX$1,383

104.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$89.3 MX$1,664

12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 $1,746

$980 MX$18.3K

78.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 $1,920

$381 MX$7,099

404.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,709 $4,709

$1,708 MX$31.8K

175.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,953 $4,953

$1,075 MX$20.0K

360.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,163 $2,163

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-64.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,376 $2,376

$735 MX$13.7K

223.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-38.86%

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

Last update for Providenciales: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Providenciales

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,746 in Providenciales versus $980 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 in Providenciales are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Providenciales versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇨 Providenciales

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

1 h behind Providenciales

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,769

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Providenciales Playa del Carmen 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Providenciales
Playa del Carmen

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

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

Yes – Providenciales is pricier by about 193%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,295 per month in Providenciales and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,746 in Providenciales.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,530 in Providenciales and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 193%.

Kindergarten costs $498 per month in Providenciales and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 Providenciales at $3,530. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Providenciales 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Providenciales makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.