Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,851 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index
58

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

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Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,851

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,851 per month in Split vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Split $1,851
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,848 per month in Split vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Split $2,848
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,844 per month in Split vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Split $3,844
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Split costs about 54% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Split sits 36% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.25

$10.92 MX$205

55.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 €67.2

$43.37 MX$814

73.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.21

$11.78 MX$221

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$2.70 €2.42

$3.81 MX$71.5

-29.13%

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

$4.11 €3.68

$1.28 MX$24.07

221.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.51

$0.78 MX$14.70

260.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 €4.18

$3.17 MX$59.5

47.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.64

$4.93 MX$92.7

5.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.41 MX$26.40

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.22 MX$41.62

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 €3.34

$1.42 MX$26.61

162.68%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.73

$2.52 MX$47.36

65.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 €12.28

$7.26 MX$136

88.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.51

$7.70 MX$144

23.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 €11.54

$12.69 MX$238

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.78 MX$52.3

-21.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.37 MX$25.68

33.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.55 MX$47.89

-25.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$2.12 MX$39.86

35.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.94 MX$36.39

-18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.89 MX$35.41

-39.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.15 MX$21.53

12.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.18 MX$22.13

8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.12

$4.30 MX$80.6

32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 €8.18

$9.95 MX$187

-8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.58 MX$29.73

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.67 MX$50.1

-17.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.49

$0.55 MX$10.39

201.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 €34.78

$26.62 MX$500

45.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.41

$4.97 MX$93.3

-23.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.89

$3.33 MX$62.5

-36.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.30 €26.24

$5.36 MX$101

446.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.44 MX$27.11

35.42%

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

$28.0K €25.1K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

35.72%

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

$24.7K €22.1K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

5.36%

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

$212 €190

$84.8 MX$1,592

150.31%

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

$20.36 €18.24

$23.41 MX$439

-13.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 €36.61

$28.66 MX$538

42.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 €53.8

$57.1 MX$1,071

5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.12 €11.75

$28.91 MX$543

-54.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.50

$5.14 MX$96.5

106.23%

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

$604 €541

$207 MX$3,878

192.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

200.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.5

$43.35 MX$814

115.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 €35.41

$41.44 MX$778

-4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €102

$74.2 MX$1,393

52.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 €87.7

$89.3 MX$1,676

9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €910

$980 MX$18.4K

3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 €646

$381 MX$7,150

89.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 €1,707

$1,708 MX$32.1K

11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,184

$1,075 MX$20.2K

22.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,099 €6,358

$3,943 MX$74.0K

80.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,158 €4,619

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-16.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,410

$735 MX$13.8K

114.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

11.45

-69.96%

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

Last update for Split: October 27, 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

Split

$722 39%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 47.2% $341

Groceries & Markets

Split

$296 16%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 13.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Split

$273 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50% $137

Eating Out

Split

$264 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 23.4% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Split

$155 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 27.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Split

$81 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 17.1% $14

Getting Around

Split

$60 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 15.7% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,016 in Split 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 Split are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Split versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Split

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

6 h behind Split

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,830

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Split Playa del Carmen 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Split
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

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

Yes – Split is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,777 per month in Split and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,016 in Split and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,851 in Split and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 35% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 31% 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 $1,204, than in Split at $1,851. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Split it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,851 in Split. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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