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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $955 per month in Tamarin vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,638 per month in Tamarin vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,321 per month in Tamarin vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tamarin is about 25% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tamarin and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tamarin 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 MUR 273

$11.60 MX$199

-50.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.06 MUR 1,808

$47.11 MX$809

-19.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 MUR 340

$11.88 MX$204

-39.81%

Cappuccino

$2.62 MUR 125

$3.98 MX$68.2

-34.17%

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

$1.15 MUR 54.4

$1.43 MX$24.49

-19.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MUR 31.15

$0.82 MX$14.16

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MUR 129

$3.19 MX$54.7

-14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.8

$6.79 MX$117

-74.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.6

$1.68 MX$28.76

-11.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 MUR 9.50

$2.20 MX$37.71

-90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MUR 55.2

$1.71 MX$29.32

-32.16%

Eggs

$2.41 MUR 114

$2.74 MX$47.05

-12.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 MUR 185

$9.58 MX$164

-59.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 MUR 295

$9.01 MX$155

-31.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 MUR 534

$12.81 MX$220

-12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 MUR 106

$2.89 MX$49.58

-22.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 MUR 104

$1.50 MX$25.70

46.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 69.2

$2.15 MX$36.87

-32.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 MUR 139

$2.26 MX$38.79

29.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 45.19

$1.98 MX$34.00

-52.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.97

$1.99 MX$34.15

-49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MUR 35.23

$1.23 MX$21.18

-39.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MUR 39.54

$1.20 MX$20.54

-30.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 MUR 291

$4.55 MX$78.1

34.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 MUR 396

$10.37 MX$178

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MUR 77.0

$1.62 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 MUR 88.9

$2.88 MX$49.44

-35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MUR 39.33

$0.60 MX$10.30

38.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 MUR 203

$5.39 MX$92.5

-20.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 MUR 152

$3.73 MX$64.0

-14.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 MUR 304

$5.77 MX$99.0

10.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 62.9

$1.54 MX$26.37

-13.64%

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

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

31.55%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$26.1K MX$447.3K

21.68%

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

$45.05 MUR 2,140

$91.4 MX$1,569

-50.70%

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

$10.74 MUR 510

$25.20 MX$433

-57.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.92 MUR 1,374

$31.24 MX$536

-7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 MUR 1,997

$67.2 MX$1,154

-37.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 MUR 305

$4.86 MX$83.5

32.10%

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

$130 MUR 6,157

$224 MX$3,839

-42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,114 MUR 147.9K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

-26.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MUR 2,657

$47.10 MX$808

18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.81 MUR 2,176

$44.29 MX$760

3.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 MUR 4,065

$80.1 MX$1,375

6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 MUR 2,805

$92.7 MX$1,591

-36.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 MUR 35.8K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MUR 17.5K

$390 MX$6,698

-5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 MUR 66.5K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 MUR 43.1K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-28.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 MUR 40.1K

$758 MX$13.0K

11.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Tamarin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in Tamarin versus $1,063 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 11% higher in Tamarin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tamarin versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $276 – making Tamarin 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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, 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 $1,432 per month in Tamarin and $1,899 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 Tamarin, 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 $955 in Tamarin and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Tamarin and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Tamarin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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