Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Split vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,790 per month in Split vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,759 per month in Split vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Split costs about 45% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Split sits 37% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.79

$11.72 MX$203

45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.9

$41.89 MX$725

92.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.19

$10.51 MX$182

-10.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.59 MX$62.0

-20.06%

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

$3.41 €2.96

$1.51 MX$26.10

125.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.92 MX$15.83

216.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.85

$2.96 MX$51.2

89.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.22

$4.41 MX$76.3

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.40 MX$24.16

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.88 MX$32.60

3.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 €3.33

$1.56 MX$26.97

146.15%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.41

$2.61 MX$45.14

50.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 €10.68

$8.32 MX$144

48.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 €8.44

$8.35 MX$145

16.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.80

$10.86 MX$188

25.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$2.71 MX$46.93

-31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.51 MX$26.04

23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.87 MX$32.41

25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$2.19 MX$37.89

8.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.86 MX$32.14

-20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.23 MX$38.59

-38.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.07 MX$18.48

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.09 MX$18.79

19.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 €4.88

$4.19 MX$72.4

34.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 €7.93

$10.43 MX$180

-12.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.66 MX$28.68

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.02

$2.61 MX$45.19

-10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.54

$0.54 MX$9.37

229.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.57 €33.40

$26.16 MX$453

47.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 €3.07

$3.08 MX$53.3

15.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.40 MX$41.61

-12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 €7.91

$3.13 MX$54.1

191.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.31 MX$22.69

30.53%

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

$37.9K €32.8K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

27.02%

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

$25.7K €22.2K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

10.15%

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

$216 €187

$81.3 MX$1,406

165.44%

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

$23.22 €20.11

$22.56 MX$390

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.11 €30.41

$30.05 MX$520

16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €51.9

$52.9 MX$915

13.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.31 €12.39

$18.39 MX$318

-22.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 €8.15

$4.92 MX$85.1

91.26%

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

$191 €165

$201 MX$3,474

-5.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,939 €7,741

$5,175 MX$89.5K

72.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 €72.5

$35.92 MX$622

133.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €34.20

$40.13 MX$694

-1.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.2

$79.7 MX$1,379

35.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €91.3

$86.5 MX$1,496

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 €840

$978 MX$16.9K

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €614

$470 MX$8,140

50.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 €1,590

$1,651 MX$28.6K

11.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,103

$1,203 MX$20.8K

5.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,280 €6,304

$3,953 MX$68.4K

84.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,063 €4,385

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-23.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 €1,430

$677 MX$11.7K

144.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

11.42

-62.61%

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

Last update for Split: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Split versus $978 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 144% higher in Split, 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 $81.0 in Split versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $252 – 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

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

Yes – Split is pricier by about 45%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,732 per month in Split and $1,890 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 $1,821 in Split and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 47% 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 $1,260, than in Split at $1,821. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Split 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, Split makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.