Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto de Tierra and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,317 in Puerto de Tierra, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Puerto de Tierra despite lower rent and utilities.

Puerto de Tierra, Puerto Rico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Puerto de Tierra
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,317
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto de Tierra 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 Puerto de Tierra and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,317 per month in Puerto de Tierra vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Puerto de Tierra $1,317
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,076 per month in Puerto de Tierra vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Puerto de Tierra $2,076
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,835 per month in Puerto de Tierra vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Puerto de Tierra $2,835
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Puerto de Tierra costs about 9% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Puerto de Tierra and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Puerto de Tierra 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.43 $19.43
$10.92 MX$203
77.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.9 $82.9
$43.37 MX$808
91.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.01 $9.01
$11.78 MX$219
-23.51%
Cappuccino
$3.52 $3.52
$3.81 MX$71.0
-7.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.28 MX$23.89
42.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 $1.52
$0.78 MX$14.58
94.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 $2.98
$3.17 MX$59.0
-5.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.92 $4.92
$4.93 MX$91.9
-0.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.41 MX$26.20
31.91%
White Bread (500g)
$3.55 $3.55
$2.22 MX$41.30
59.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.42 MX$26.40
71.83%
Eggs
$7.32 $7.32
$2.52 MX$47.00
190.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.72 $12.72
$7.26 MX$135
75.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.54 $9.54
$7.70 MX$143
23.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.27 $13.27
$12.69 MX$236
4.57%
Apples (1kg)
$5.00 $5.00
$2.78 MX$51.9
79.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.37 MX$25.49
91.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.99 $4.99
$2.55 MX$47.52
95.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$2.12 MX$39.55
123.58%
Potato (1kg)
$3.69 $3.69
$1.94 MX$36.11
90.21%
Onion (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$1.89 MX$35.13
108.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.38 $3.38
$1.15 MX$21.36
193.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.18 MX$21.96
35.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.81 $11.81
$4.30 MX$80.0
174.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.69 $15.69
$9.95 MX$185
57.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.58 MX$29.50
96.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 $3.90
$2.67 MX$49.76
46.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.31
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$496
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.46 $2.46
$4.97 MX$92.6
-50.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 $1.48
$3.33 MX$62.1
-55.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.87 $41.87
$5.36 MX$99.8
681.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 $1.25
$1.44 MX$26.90
-13.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K $35.1K
$20.7K MX$385.0K
69.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K $28.4K
$23.5K MX$437.2K
20.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$323 $323
$84.8 MX$1,580
281.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.9 $67.9
$23.41 MX$436
189.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.6 $69.6
$28.66 MX$534
142.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,063
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.56 $10.56
$5.14 MX$95.7
105.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$809 $809
$207 MX$3,848
291.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K $12.4K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
215.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 $55.9
$43.35 MX$808
29.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.3 $61.3
$41.44 MX$772
48.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$74.2 MX$1,382
49.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$89.3 MX$1,663
26.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$980 MX$18.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,095
-
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$114.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto de Tierra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
11.45
-42.79%

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

Last update for Puerto de Tierra: 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.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto de Tierra
$461
Playa del Carmen
$137 70.3% $324
Groceries & Markets
Puerto de Tierra
$410
Playa del Carmen
$255 37.8% $155
Eating Out
Puerto de Tierra
$263
Playa del Carmen
$202 23% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto de Tierra
$153
Playa del Carmen
$112 27.2% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto de Tierra
$21 *
Playa del Carmen
$67 219% $46
Getting Around
Puerto de Tierra
$9.9 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 410% $41
Accommodation & Living
Puerto de Tierra
- *
Playa del Carmen
$381

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 $83 in Puerto de Tierra versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 Puerto de Tierra
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
00:53 12:53 AM
23:53 11:53 PM
1 h behind Puerto de Tierra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto de Tierra Playa del Carmen 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto de Tierra
  • 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
Puerto de Tierra vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Puerto de Tierra?
Yes – Puerto de Tierra is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,976 per month in Puerto de Tierra and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Puerto de Tierra and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,317 in Puerto de Tierra and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 9% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $809 per month in Puerto de Tierra and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Puerto de Tierra or Playa del Carmen?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,317 in Puerto de Tierra and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Puerto de Tierra or in Playa del Carmen?
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 $1,317 in Puerto de Tierra. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Puerto de Tierra vs other spots: cost of living compared

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