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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,423 per month in Telsiai vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,170 per month in Telsiai vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,917 per month in Telsiai vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Telsiai costs about 11% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Telsiai sits 6% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 €11.73

$11.94 MX$208

15.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.3

$42.75 MX$744

62.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 €7.84

$10.59 MX$184

-13.31%

Cappuccino

$3.60 €3.07

$3.62 MX$63.0

-0.55%

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

$2.14 €1.83

$1.47 MX$25.54

45.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.01

$0.94 MX$16.41

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 €4.51

$3.09 MX$53.8

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.41

$4.46 MX$77.6

15.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.43 MX$24.80

4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.31

$1.88 MX$32.79

-18.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.14

$1.63 MX$28.34

53.99%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.46

$2.64 MX$45.99

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 €10.82

$8.21 MX$143

54.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 €5.89

$8.29 MX$144

-16.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 €10.57

$11.10 MX$193

11.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$2.65 MX$46.14

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.50 MX$26.11

11.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.99 MX$34.59

9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.86

$2.08 MX$36.13

61.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 €0.81

$1.79 MX$31.11

-46.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 €0.92

$2.18 MX$37.87

-50.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.08 MX$18.73

79.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.04 MX$18.04

-10.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €4.92

$3.97 MX$69.1

45.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 €7.88

$10.20 MX$178

-9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.73 MX$30.04

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.50 MX$43.46

-12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 €1.00

$0.52 MX$9.02

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.99 €28.17

$26.97 MX$469

22.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 €2.83

$3.14 MX$54.7

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.00

$2.40 MX$41.80

-51.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.34 €13.95

$3.09 MX$53.7

428.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.27 MX$22.16

34.65%

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

$35.4K €30.3K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

14.72%

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

$33.1K €28.3K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

42.11%

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

$241 €206

$82.0 MX$1,427

194.39%

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

$14.24 €12.16

$22.45 MX$391

-36.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 €14.47

$29.66 MX$516

-42.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.35 €35.31

$51.9 MX$903

-20.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.86 €19.52

$18.67 MX$325

22.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 €8.01

$4.97 MX$86.5

88.73%

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

$622 €531

$198 MX$3,442

214.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,377 €8,008

$5,273 MX$91.7K

77.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €73.9

$36.34 MX$632

138.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.60 €36.38

$40.05 MX$697

6.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €93.9

$79.9 MX$1,390

37.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €110

$88.9 MX$1,547

44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 €456

$963 MX$16.8K

-44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 €305

$465 MX$8,086

-23.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 €723

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-46.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 €565

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-45.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,484 €2,121

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-36.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 €1,367

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-75.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

11.42

-60.68%

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

Last update for Telsiai: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Telsiai versus $963 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Telsiai versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $251 – 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

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

Yes – Telsiai is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,135 per month in Telsiai and $1,930 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 $1,423 in Telsiai and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 22% 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 $1,287, than in Telsiai at $1,423. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Telsiai 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, Telsiai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.