Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $629 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $629 per month in Tehran vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tehran $629
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,066 per month in Tehran vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tehran $1,066
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,503 per month in Tehran vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tehran $1,503
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Tehran is about 48% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tehran and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$10.92 MX$204

-68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 $16.28

$43.37 MX$808

-62.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$11.78 MX$220

-65.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$1.32 $1.32

$3.81 MX$71.0

-65.35%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$1.28 MX$23.90

-58.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.78 MX$14.59

120.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.41 MX$26.22

-49.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 $0.62

$2.22 MX$41.33

-72.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.42 MX$26.42

135.21%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$2.52 MX$47.03

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$7.26 MX$135

-37.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$7.70 MX$143

-56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$12.69 MX$237

-20.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.78 MX$51.9

-50.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.37 MX$25.50

36.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.55 MX$47.55

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$2.12 MX$39.58

-69.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.94 MX$36.13

-71.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.89 MX$35.16

-75.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.15 MX$21.37

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 $0.30

$1.18 MX$21.98

-74.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 $2.53

$4.30 MX$80.1

-41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.55 MX$10.31

-81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.47 $5.47

$26.62 MX$496

-79.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$4.97 MX$92.6

-89.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$3.33 MX$62.1

-91.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$5.36 MX$99.8

-42.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.44 MX$26.92

-93.75%

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

$51.0K $51.0K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

146.57%

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

$45.1K $45.1K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

92.11%

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

$12.88 $12.88

$84.8 MX$1,581

-84.81%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$23.41 MX$436

-93.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.85 $3.85

$28.66 MX$534

-86.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 $24.27

$57.1 MX$1,063

-57.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 $13.15

$28.91 MX$539

-54.51%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$5.14 MX$95.8

-62.06%

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

$109 $109

$207 MX$3,851

-47.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,557 $2,557

$3,927 MX$73.2K

-34.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.91 $26.91

$43.35 MX$808

-37.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 $37.60

$41.44 MX$772

-9.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$74.2 MX$1,383

58.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 $71.7

$89.3 MX$1,664

-19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$980 MX$18.3K

-56.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$381 MX$7,099

-29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-43.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-41.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 $1,268

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-67.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-88.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$735 MX$13.7K

-71.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

11.45

116.51%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 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

Tehran

$269 42.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 41.5% $112

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 101% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$114 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.2% $2.5

Eating Out

Tehran

$65 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 212% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$28 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 139% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 647% $119

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 544% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Tehran 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 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Tehran versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $255 – making Tehran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

8 h 30 min behind Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Tehran Playa del Carmen 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Tehran
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $943 per month in Tehran 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 Tehran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $430 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $629 in Tehran and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 91%.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Tehran. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tehran, where all-in costs run around $629, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Tehran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tehran – 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 Tehran. 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.