Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacna and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $433 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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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Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$433

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $433 per month in Tacna vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tacna $433
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $621 per month in Tacna vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tacna $621
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $810 per month in Tacna vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tacna $810
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Tacna is about 64% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tacna and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tacna 68% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 PEN 9.77

$10.67 MX$200

-73.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.47 PEN 49.80

$43.80 MX$823

-66.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 PEN 16.99

$11.79 MX$221

-58.10%

Cappuccino

$3.42 PEN 11.77

$3.79 MX$71.1

-9.76%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.89

$1.30 MX$24.36

-13.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 PEN 1.41

$0.83 MX$15.65

-50.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 PEN 9.73

$3.15 MX$59.1

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 PEN 11.55

$4.93 MX$92.7

-31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 PEN 4.00

$1.41 MX$26.46

-17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

$2.20 MX$41.23

-35.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.86

$1.47 MX$27.66

-43.54%

Eggs

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$2.50 MX$46.89

-29.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 PEN 14.94

$7.29 MX$137

-40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 PEN 16.01

$7.95 MX$149

-41.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 PEN 29.62

$12.86 MX$242

-33.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.85

$1.38 MX$25.98

2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$2.49 MX$46.78

-63.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.56

$2.02 MX$38.03

-63.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 PEN 2.40

$1.24 MX$23.27

-43.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 PEN 15.02

$4.27 MX$80.2

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 PEN 22.10

$9.81 MX$184

-34.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.90

$1.59 MX$29.78

62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.51 MX$9.67

-45.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 PEN 6.54

$4.76 MX$89.4

-60.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

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

$18.59 PEN 64.0

$23.19 MX$435

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.48 PEN 87.7

$27.61 MX$519

-7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$56.4 MX$1,060

-48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$5.00 MX$93.9

-48.40%

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

$57.3 PEN 197

$207 MX$3,889

-72.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.45 PEN 70.4

$43.45 MX$816

-52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$42.54 MX$799

-51.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.26 PEN 90.4

$88.4 MX$1,660

-70.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 PEN 237

$382 MX$7,181

-82.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$465 PEN 1,600

$832 MX$15.6K

-44.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Tacna: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Tacna

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 79% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $14 in Tacna versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $257 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Tacna

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

Same time as Tacna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,972

149,923

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacna Playa del Carmen 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacna
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 178%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $649 per month in Tacna and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $433 in Tacna and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Tacna about 64% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $57 per month in Tacna 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Tacna, where all-in costs run around $433, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Tacna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $433 in Tacna to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Tacna. 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.