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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $319 per month in Tongi vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $523 per month in Tongi vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $726 per month in Tongi vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tongi is about 75% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tongi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tongi 76% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 ৳207

$11.73 MX$203

-85.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.11 ৳1,239

$41.62 MX$720

-75.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ৳593

$10.64 MX$184

-54.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 ৳512

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 ৳576

Cappuccino

$1.43 ৳175

$3.52 MX$60.9

-59.38%

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

$0.35 ৳42.41

$1.51 MX$26.12

-76.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ৳20.46

$0.97 MX$16.84

-82.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 ৳81.3

$1.38 MX$23.93

-52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ৳69.1

$1.89 MX$32.72

-70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ৳75.5

$1.64 MX$28.32

-62.20%

Eggs

$1.22 ৳150

$2.51 MX$43.34

-51.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 ৳858

$8.34 MX$144

-16.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 ৳306

$8.34 MX$144

-70.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.20 ৳637

$10.73 MX$186

-51.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 ৳271

$2.60 MX$45.04

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 ৳123

$1.46 MX$25.20

-31.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ৳258

$1.90 MX$32.87

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ৳80.6

$2.08 MX$35.91

-68.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳31.78

$1.78 MX$30.71

-85.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ৳45.69

$2.19 MX$37.80

-83.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 ৳40.32

$1.04 MX$17.99

-68.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.69

$1.08 MX$18.62

-74.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.07 ৳1,111

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ৳274

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ৳590

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ৳357

$4.08 MX$70.6

-28.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ৳24.48

$0.51 MX$8.81

-60.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.40 ৳1,274

$26.46 MX$458

-60.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ৳99.0

$3.26 MX$56.4

-75.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.23

$2.49 MX$43.09

-84.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ৳247

$3.25 MX$56.2

-37.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ৳122

$1.31 MX$22.61

-24.43%

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

$28.9K ৳3.5M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-4.48%

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

$27.8K ৳3.4M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

18.53%

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

$30.14 ৳3,693

$82.9 MX$1,433

-63.63%

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

$4.70 ৳576

$22.22 MX$384

-78.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.06 ৳1,110

$29.34 MX$507

-69.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.51 ৳1,655

$51.6 MX$893

-73.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 ৳1,469

$18.32 MX$317

-34.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.19 ৳513

$5.07 MX$87.6

-17.36%

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

$27.46 ৳3,364

$201 MX$3,473

-86.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$928 ৳113.6K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-82.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.00 ৳1,960

$36.92 MX$639

-56.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.64 ৳2,162

$39.79 MX$688

-55.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.04 ৳4,048

$78.5 MX$1,357

-57.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.56 ৳4,479

$87.1 MX$1,506

-58.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$70.1 ৳8,583

$973 MX$16.8K

-92.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$42.05 ৳5,152

$468 MX$8,090

-91.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$165 ৳20.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-89.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.9 ৳12.1K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-91.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.2K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-80.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.29

11.42

-9.89%

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

Last update for Tongi: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $70.1 in Tongi versus $973 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 $10.00 in Tongi versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $104 vs $249 – making Tongi 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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 306%, 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 $479 per month in Tongi and $1,945 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 Tongi, 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 $319 in Tongi and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 154% less in Tongi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tongi, where all-in costs run around $319, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Tongi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tongi – 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 Tongi. 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.