Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $799 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Surat

🇮🇳 India

$799

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $799 per month in Surat vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surat $799
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $853 per month in Surat vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surat $853
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $906 per month in Surat vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surat $906
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Surat is about 34% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surat and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Surat 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 ₹298

$10.92 MX$205

-71.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.59 ₹1,005

$43.37 MX$815

-75.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.22 ₹305

$11.78 MX$221

-72.67%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₹167

$3.81 MX$71.6

-53.81%

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

$0.39 ₹37.13

$1.28 MX$24.10

-69.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.58

$0.78 MX$14.71

-82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 ₹305

$3.17 MX$59.5

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ₹322

$4.93 MX$92.7

-31.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹68.1

$1.41 MX$26.43

-48.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.78

$2.22 MX$41.66

-79.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.5

$1.42 MX$26.64

-49.30%

Eggs

$0.90 ₹85.5

$2.52 MX$47.41

-64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹439

$7.26 MX$137

-36.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ₹260

$7.70 MX$145

-64.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₹158

$2.78 MX$52.3

-39.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 ₹54.5

$1.37 MX$25.71

-58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ₹71.9

$2.55 MX$47.94

-70.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 ₹52.2

$2.12 MX$39.90

-74.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.78

$1.94 MX$36.43

-79.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.99

$1.89 MX$35.44

-77.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 ₹44.15

$1.15 MX$21.55

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.04

$1.18 MX$22.16

-74.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$4.30 MX$80.7

14.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 ₹742

$9.95 MX$187

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹177

$1.58 MX$29.76

17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹289

$2.67 MX$50.2

14.23%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.18 ₹587

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.98

$0.55 MX$10.40

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.21 ₹305

$26.62 MX$500

-87.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 ₹53.5

$4.97 MX$93.4

-88.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹20.90

$3.33 MX$62.6

-93.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$5.36 MX$101

-79.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹108

$1.44 MX$27.14

-21.53%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

-44.98%

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

$18.3K ₹1.7M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-21.91%

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

$36.87 ₹3,500

$84.8 MX$1,594

-56.52%

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

$3.56 ₹338

$23.41 MX$440

-84.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.44 ₹706

$28.66 MX$539

-74.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.56 ₹1,762

$57.1 MX$1,072

-67.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₹517

$28.91 MX$543

-81.15%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 ₹283

$5.14 MX$96.6

-42.02%

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

$32.79 ₹3,113

$207 MX$3,882

-84.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$937 ₹89.0K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

-76.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.65 ₹2,151

$43.35 MX$815

-47.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.76 ₹2,350

$41.44 MX$779

-40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.73 ₹3,867

$74.2 MX$1,394

-45.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.31 ₹3,068

$89.3 MX$1,677

-63.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ₹19.8K

$980 MX$18.4K

-78.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₹46.0K

$381 MX$7,157

27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₹36.7K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-77.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₹22.9K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-77.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$645 ₹61.2K

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-83.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$364 ₹34.5K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-94.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$319 ₹30.3K

$735 MX$13.8K

-56.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

11.45

-19.91%

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

Last update for Surat: October 25, 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

Surat

$484 60.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 21.3% $103

Groceries & Markets

Surat

$102 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 150% $153

Eating Out

Surat

$81 10.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 151% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Surat

$54 6.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 106% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat

$48 6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 186% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Surat

$25 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 175% $43

Getting Around

Surat

$5.7 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 788% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Surat 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 Playa del Carmen are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surat versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $255 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Surat

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

00:58 12:58 AM

10 h 30 min behind Surat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,936,534

149,923

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surat Playa del Carmen 14,880 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Surat
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,199 per month in Surat 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 Surat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $799 in Surat and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Surat about 34% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Surat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Surat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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